Titanium Mk I: Prototype
by AuthorOfTheUniverse2401
Summary: As a machine, he celebrates logic and reason. Homeworld is a logical utopia: everyone has their role and they play it perfectly. So why does he find himself finding fallacies in this perfect world? How can a Pearl be a formidable combat force? How can a Bismuth best a Lapis Lazuli? Why would anyone shatter Pink Diamond? Don't they know he'll break them for that?
1. They're Talking About Me

**A/N:** **This has been in the works for a long time. I was originally planning on releasing this some time ago, but then new episodes came out and I had to watch those and think about how they factored into this story. Then for some reason I started to think that my idea was stupid. For a while, I gave into my insecurities and started to believe that absolutely no one would like this idea. But then I saw Pink Diamond for the first time. It gave new life to my idea as well as new plot points to work with. Namely, the fact that Pink Diamond, the big bad that the Crystal Gems fought against, had the looks and disposition of a child. I thought to myself: "what would a child want more than a playmate?"**

 **Thus I bring to you, dear reader, _Titanium Mk I: Prototype._ The story of a mechanical man dedicated to logic and his leader who, through his interactions with the rebels who would dare defy his great Homeworld, begins to see logical fallacies in the way things are run, mainly in the all too rigid caste system. Why does Homeworld find cross-Gem fusions unbelievable, disgusting, and so unheard of among other things despite them clearly being stronger than single-gem fusions? How can a Pearl be built for the sole purpose of looking pretty and nothing else, yet still be able to best someone in combat? How can a Bismuth have better combat experience than a Jasper? But not all of life's questions have logical, satisfying answers.**

 **Sometimes, things happen that no one can explain.**

* * *

RECEIVING POWER...

POWER AT FIFTY PERCENT CAPACITY. DISTRIBUTING POWER TO ALL AREAS. INITIAITING DIAGNOSTICS CHECK.

VISUAL RECEPTORS: ONLINE. AUDITORY RECEPTORS: ONLINE. DATA MAINFRAME: ONLINE. MOVEMENT APPARATUS: DISABLED FOR EXPERIMENTAL PURPOSES.

ACTIVATING WAKE UP SEQUENCE…

* * *

The room was blank. Nobody was in sight. There were voices, though, that much he could tell.

"Titanium Prototype." The voice came through a speaker into his room. "Can you hear me?"

 _Who is speaking?_ he thought. Words flashed across his eyes. They translated as:

VOICE RECOGNITION IDENTIFIES YELLOW DIAMOND, HEAD OF TECHNOLOGICAL AND SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT AND A RULER OF HOMEWORLD. MAIN DESIGNER OF TITANIUM PROTOTYPE.

He tried speaking. Each syllable lasted a second long with pauses between them twice as long.

"I…can…hear…you…"

"Excellent." She paused, then spoke again. "Make sure the next version is faster."

"Yes, My Diamond. Again, this is merely a preliminary test to see if our design is even functional. After this, a series of fine-tuning tests will be conducted to perfect the design to the best of our ability."

VOICE RECOGNITION IDENTIFIES A PERIDOT UNIT, THE PRIMARY TECHNOLOGICAL EXPERTS OF HOMEWORLD. THEY ARE AIDED BY STANDARD-ISSUE LIMB ENHANCERS AND HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO POSSESS FERROKINESIS.

"Excellent," said Yellow Diamond. "I expect no more delays. Any more, and you will be the one to deal with her displeasure."

"I…I see. That will not be necessary, I can assure you that everything will be on schedule from here on out, my Diamond…ah, it seems that he is waking up. According to these figures, he's progressing just as we expected. He's already seeing and hearing the world around him."

"Excellent," said Yellow Diamond. "Cut the power, he can wake up and that's all we need to know for now."

"Yes, My Diamond," said the Peridot.

 _They're talking about me,_ he thought. Instinctively he knew it to be true. But scarcely had the thought passed through his mind than a new voice entered.

"Can I watch you power him up? Pleeeeaaase?"

"We've already done it. I told you to wait, you won't get to see him until the finished product is complete."

"But why can't I watch? I promise I'll be good, I won't touch anything!"

 _I know her,_ he thought. _How do I know her?_

VOICE RECOGNITION IDENTIFIES PINK DIAMOND, MEMBER OF DIAMOND LEADERSHIP AND OWNER OF THE EARTH COLONY. CREATIVE MIND BEHIND THE TITANIUM PROJECT. ALL HAIL HER GRACE, THE CREATOR.

She created him? Then why couldn't she watch him? What was so wrong about that?

"I told you, you can't watch him until he's finished and that's final!" Yellow Diamond said.

"But…but…" It sounded like his Diamond was in distress. Without thinking he called out to her.

"Pink…Diamond?" he said slowly. His voice sounded distorted and had an unusual echo. He guessed that his voice box had been half-finished.

All conversation stopped. The room was silent for so long, he thought that he had been left alone. He called again.

"Pink…Diamond?" He didn't know why he wanted her to stay so badly. He hardly knew her, but she was apparently his creator. Logic dictated that she deserved to watch him be built.

There was more silence. Yellow Diamond finally spoke after what seemed like an eternity.

"Cut the power, we're done for today."

"Yes, my Diamond," said the Peridot.

"But Yellow, please! He recognizes me! I want to talk to –"

He didn't hear anything else.

* * *

POWER AT ZERO PERCENT CAPACITY. RETURNING TO SLEEP MODE. THIS SESSION HAS BEEN RECORDED FOR EXPERIMENTAL PURPOSES.

* * *

RECEIVING POWER…

POWER AT SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT CAPACITY. DISRTRIBUTING POWER TO ALL AREAS. INITIATING DIAGNOSTICS CHECK.

OPTIC RECEPTORS: ONLINE. AUDITORY RECEPTORS: ONLINE. DATA MAINFRAME: ONLINE. MOMVEMENT APPARATUS: LIMITED.

ACTIVATING WAKE UP SEQUENCE…

* * *

The room is blank again. He heard more voices, the same as before.

"He is awake now, my Diamond," said the Peridot.

There was a pause. Then Yellow Diamond spoke.

"Titanium Prototype, do you know who I am?"

The same text as before rolled across his vision.

"You are Yellow Diamond," he said. His voice had noticeably less echo than before and it was much easier to use. "You designed me. What can I do for you today?"

Another pause, then Yellow Diamond spoke to her Peridot again.

"The voice is much better than last time."

"Thank you, my Diamond, I did the adjustments myself."

Yellow Diamond spoke to him again.

"We are testing your movement capabilities. Please raise your right arm in front of your face."

He did as he was told. His arm moved incredibly slowly. It took ten seconds to get it to his desired position.

"Good," Yellow Diamond said. "Now close your hand and open it again."

He did as he was told. His fingers moved just as slowly as his arm did. He took the moment to inspect his arm. It was bare, no skin covered his mechanical parts. It was…he searched his database for the right word…yes, it was skeletal. His blueprints appeared in his vision. He saw the notes on his design, zooming in on them.

 _As per Pink Diamond's request, the metal endoskeleton shall be based on our research on humankind's own endoskeletons and will improve on their design. The Gem placed in the chest cavity shall not only power the body but shall also project a physical form onto the endoskeleton to make the look complete. This requires a certain amount of power and shall be deactivated for the purposes of testing._

He completed his task, lowering his arm to his side.

"Now stand up," Yellow said.

He paused for a moment, readying his body for much bigger movement. He turned his body around, his legs swinging off the table he had been laying on. He sat up, then pushed himself off. He nearly fell over yet managed to balance himself. He looked directly ahead at a blank wall.

"He is progressing smoother than our data projected," the Peridot said. "At this rate, we can complete his body by the end of the next Earth month."

"Turn around," Yellow said.

He moved his legs. Interestingly, his feet seemed to end not in toes like he thought they would, but large metal boots. According to his blueprints, this was for "better balance." He supposed this made more sense, yet he was a bit concerned that his Diamond would think less of him for this detail being off from her vision.

He had turned the full 180 degrees. He saw the two figures standing behind the window separating his chamber from the control center. The woman on the left, small compared to even him, was watching him, taking notes on her screen. A giant woman of bright yellow leaned down to see through the window, this being one of the few times where her immense height was a disadvantage.

There was someone missing.

"Do you recognize my face?" Yellow Diamond asked.

"No," he admitted. "I shall record your face so I may recognize you in the future."

"Excellent," she said. "Now lie back on the table, our session is complete." She turned to the Peridot. "Fine-tune the movement apparatus, he needs to be able to move at the pace of a normal Gem."

"Yes, my Diamond," the Peridot replied. Yellow Diamond turned back to the window. She seemed to be confused at how he was still staring at her rather than moving.

"Titanium Prototype, return to the table at once," she demanded. She wasn't quite yelling, but he could tell she was getting there.

"Where is my Diamond?" he asked.

The Peridot stopped typing on her screen. She gave Yellow Diamond a nervous sideways glance.

"I am your Diamond," she said.

"No," he replied. "You are Yellow Diamond. You designed me and without you I would not exist. Of that much I am aware, and because of it I will give you the respect you are due. I am referring to Pink Diamond, the one I was built to serve. I will ask again. Where is my Diamond?"

This only irritated Yellow more. "She will not be watching the process of your creation. She is of no use in this step of the process and I will not have her causing any more disruptions in my work."

He tilted his head. "She is my creator, is she not? Logic dictates that she should be allowed to watch my creation."

Yellow Diamond drummed her fingers on the control center in annoyance. The Peridot was now typing on her screen faster as if trying to distract herself from thinking about what was happening.

"Be that as it may," she said, her voice the very definition of strained, "She is of no use to us right now, and as such I will be leaving her out of this. She is a very busy Gem with a colony of her own now, against my better judgement. Now get on the table right now or I will come in there and make you."

This answer did not satisfy him, but he saw no other way out of this predicament. He began his slow descent onto the table, the gaze of Yellow Diamond never leaving him. Even as he was powering down, he could still feel the disapproval oozing out of her.

* * *

POWER AT ZERO PERCENT CAPACITY. RETURNING TO SLEEP MODE. THIS SESSION HAS BEEN RECORDED FOR EXPERIMENTAL PURPOSES.

* * *

RECEIVING POWER…

POWER AT EIGHTY PERCENT CAPACITY. DISTRIBUTING POWER TO ALL AREAS. INITIATING DIAGNOSTICS CHECK.

OPTIC RECEPTORS: ONLINE. AUDITORY RECEPTROS: ONLINE. DATABASE MAINFRAME: ONLINE. MOVEMENT APPARATUS: FULLY OPERATIONAL.

TITANIUM IS NOW COMPATIBLE WITH GEM'S WEAPON. WEAPONS SYSTEMS ARE NOW FULLY OPERATIONAL.

INITIATING WAKE UP SEQUENCE.

* * *

This room is different from the previous one. In fact, it's not so much a room as it is a large chamber, large enough to fit a warship inside. There are several devices which he identifies as targets. They are holograms projecting images of different types of gems. There are Ruby targets, Jasper targets, and several others. Of note are several shaped like members of the Gem elite: Sapphires, Holly Blues, etc.

"Attention Titanium Prototype," Yellow Diamond's voice boomed through the room, "you are standing in the Homeworld training ground. You are here to test your reflexes and combat capabilities as your accuracy and judgement. You are tasked with summoning your weapon and using it to destroy as many targets as you can. If you destroy any targets shaped like high-ranking Gems, you will be penalized. Your power source can be deactivated remotely at a moment's notice. You may begin when the signal is given. Please take a moment to practice moving your newly-upgraded body."

So, this was his task today. He had moved up from having difficulty with the simple tasks of speaking and moving to combat training. Homeworld technology was truly incredible.

He moved his arms experimentally. The movement felt…natural. He assumed that he was moving at the normal speed for any other Gem. He waved his arms, shook his legs, and all of it felt natural. At long last he could move.

He looked down. He looked exactly how he thought he would based on the blueprints. His black rectangular gem was in the middle of his chestplate, a clamp fastening it in place and preventing its removal. He couldn't see it very well from this angle, but he somehow knew exactly what it was like. The gem had a faint purple glow, and many tubes were draining energy from it and distributing it throughout his body.

Out of curiosity, he pulled up an image of a human skeleton from his databanks. Indeed, these tubes reminded him of the human ribcage. Yellow Diamond really had outdone herself when she made him look like a human.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud droning noise that reverberated throughout the room. On instinct he slapped his arm on his gem. Bright purple light surrounded his hand, advancing up his arm all the way up to his elbow. The light faded, replacing his arm with an arm cannon.

He looked up and let his instincts take over. Lasers flew from his arm cannon with such accuracy that it was as if they were drawn to the targets. Upon being hit, the holographic targets burst into light and disappeared. He turned in every direction, thinking carefully with every shot. He calculated exactly how to move to maximize his accuracy.

After a while, he would get into a pattern: look, aim, shoot. Look, aim, shoot. That's all he would do for a long while.

He missed many times. Once, his shot missed a Ruby and hit the Sapphire directly behind the former. He fired many times at a Jasper and the extra shots hit things he wasn't aiming for. He understood it to be sheer dumb luck that the Holly Blue to the Jasper's left was the only thing shot as a result of his recklessness. He incorporated these mistakes into his targeting systems. He would not fire so brashly at his targets. If he saw a desired target within a crowd of undesired targets he would seek out a more low-risk opportunity.

Look, aim, shoot. Look, aim, shoot.

It went on for so long, he just stopped thinking about what he was doing and started speculating other things. Where was Yellow Diamond that she could see what he was doing? Where was the way out of this room? Was his Diamond watching him? How much longer would he be subjected to this test? What would he do for his Diamond once he was complete?

Look, aim, shoot. Look, aim –

The droning sound went off again and the targets all shut down. His final shot hit the wall to join countless other scorch marks there.

There was silence for a long time. He took the moment to inspect his arm cannon. It fascinated him, like he was looking at an alien specimen from another world. Everything about it from the dark purple of its casing to the brighter purple of the energy veins leading to the barrel intrigued him. He compared it to the rest of his arm. Thin metal wires pulled taught, a small metal cylinder encased by them, everything about it made him feel empty. He looked at his legs, seeing similar emptiness there. He wondered if his head looked as empty. His weapon looked so substantial in comparison to the rest of him.

Was that all he was, a glorified weapon to be used by Pink Diamond? He had no records of any other Gem type that closely resembled him, so he had no clue as to his purpose were he not attached to a metal body. Come to think of it, he had no idea what kind of Gem he was. No other Gem type had this exact shade of black, no other Gem shined with this purple light the way his did. It was a harrowing thought. _He had no idea who he was_! Ironically, not being part of a group hurt his sense of individuality! This logical paradox worried him, as it had no easy logical answer. What was he? _What was he?_ _ **What was –**_

"Titanium Prototype, respond!"

Yellow Diamond's harsh echoing voice snapped him out of his thoughts, returning him to the real world and its easy answers. He wasn't so sure he was happy with this.

"Yes?" he called to nowhere in particular, as he couldn't see where his superior was.

"Above you!" Indeed, he looked up and there was Yellow Diamond in a room at the top of the wall in front of him. She seemed to be in an observation deck of some kind, as there was nothing separating her from the testing range aside from a wall of glass.

"Apologies…my Diamond. I was lost in my thoughts for a moment." He wasn't sure why he had hesitated to call her that. Perhaps it was because she _wasn't_ his Diamond. From what he had gathered, Pink Diamond was the one he was meant to serve. Perhaps that's why she was in his thoughts so much. It was then that he realized he was devoted to a Diamond whose face he didn't even know.

Yellow Diamond seemed to be pondering his answer, though he was too far away for him to read her expression. His blueprints stated that his eyes had a telescope function that could let him zoom in on anything, but he found himself unable to do so. Perhaps it hadn't been installed yet?

"You shouldn't tax your mind so early in your development," she finally responded. "Your CPU may not be able to handle high levels of critical thinking at the moment."

"Very well," he said. Then he realized what a golden opportunity here.

"My…Diamond," he said, still not completely comfortable with referring to Yellow as such, "what am I?"

He could see even from this distance that Yellow was lowering her head in exasperation. "You are the Titanium Prototype. You were commissioned by Pink Diamond to be her personal agent, bodyguard, whatever she wishes to call you. I designed you myself."

"I am aware of this," he said, though he was lying partially. He actually did not know what he meant to Pink Diamond until now. "Forgive me, I should have been specific. What type of Gem am I?"

"As far as I know, you have no name. There was no need for one until now."

"Surely my kind should have a name?"

"Your 'kind' consists entirely of you alone." He could tell from her voice that she was getting irritated. "You do not need a name."

"Can I name him? Pleeeaaase?"

He recognized this second voice immediately, though he had heard it only once before. "Pink Diamond?"

"I told you that you could only watch if you remained quiet during the test!" Yellow shouted.

"But names are important! Pleeeeaaase?" Pink Diamond begged.

"What kind of name would you even give him?" Yellow demanded.

This was followed by silence. It seemed Yellow had completely forgotten the microphone was left on, as he could hear Pink humming in deep thought.

"My Diamonds," he said. "If I may, perhaps projecting my physical form might give you some inspiration?"

Yellow rushed to look at him again. It then occurred to him that Pink wasn't in view. "That will not be necessary! Lie on the ground now so we can safely shut you down!"

"But you both seem to be having difficulty. I must do whatever I can to help you, my Diamonds."

His gem glowed brighter, the dim purple turning brighter, almost white. It spread from his chest, encasing his upper arms and legs.

Then it stopped. He heard alarms sounding and read messages on his screen.

WARNING! PHYSICAL PROJECTION HAS BEEN DEACTIVATED FOR TESTING PURPOSES! SYSTEMS WILL ENTER EMERGENCY SHUT DOWN IF THIS PERSISTS! WARNING! PHYSICAL PROJECTION

Then he collapsed to the ground, dead to the world.

* * *

SYSTEMS HAVE ENTERED EMERGENCY SHUT DOWN. SYSTEMS WILL RESTART WHEN THE PROBLEM IS CORRECTED. THIS SESSION HAS BEEN RECORDED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF SHUT DOWN.

* * *

It was much later. Yellow was in her personal quarters staring at the door. Her Pearl was with her, standing next to her throne at stiff attention, awaiting orders. She was not uncomfortable; she could hold that pose for as long as her Diamond commanded.

The door opened suddenly, Peridot 6HP entering and giving the standard salute for the Diamond authority.

"You wished to speak with me, my Diamond?" she asked.

"Yes," Yellow responded. "How has the Titanium Prototype progressed so far?"

The Peridot pulled up her screen, examining the data mentioned. "Very much ahead of schedule so far. If he continues at this rate, he will be finalized next week."

Yellow nodded. "And what do you think of this?"

It took Yellow Pearl all her force of will not to look at her Diamond in confusion. She rarely asked others for their opinion unless they were another Diamond. What was she playing at?

The Peridot seemed equally confused. "M-my Diamond?"

"I asked you a question," Yellow said.

The Peridot seemed to decide that expressing her opinion to be the lesser of two evils in this case. "In all honesty, my Diamond…if I may be so bold…his progress frightens me."

Yellow raised an eyebrow. "How so?" she asked.

Peridot took an unnecessary deep breath. "The way he has been progressing past all our data…well it's not like I am disappointed about this, but it is unnerving how quickly he's been learning."

Yellow Diamond nodded. "Is it possible that our predictions were wrong?"

"Perhaps…" she said.

"I agree," Yellow Diamond said, staring at the ground in deep thought. "We underestimated his potential for growth. No matter, it's not like we have any previous data to go on." She looked at the Peridot again. "You may leave now."

The technician saluted again, then left the room once again. Yellow Diamond sighed.

"I'm starting to regret this whole thing."

* * *

SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN MODIFIED. POWER IS BEING DIRECTLY RECEIVED FROM THE GEMSTONE. NO NEED FOR AUXILARY POWER.

POWER AT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT CAPACITY. DISTRIBUTING POWER TO ALL AREAS. INITIATING DIAGNOSTICS CHECK…

OPTIC RECEPTORS: ONLINE. AUDITORY RECEPTORS: ONLINE. DATA MAINFRAME: ONLINE. MOVEMENT APPARATUS: FULLY FUNCTIONAL. WEAPONS SYSTEMS: FULLY FUNCTIONAL.

PHYSICAL PROJECTION FUNCTION HAS BEEN ADDED. YOU MAY NOW PROJECT YOUR GEM'S PHYSICAL FORM ONTO TITANIUM.

INITIATING WAKE UP SEQUENCE…

* * *

How could he have done something so illogical? He knew that the physical projection had been deactivated for the tests. Why would he try that then? Why was he so desperate to help Pink Diamond if he hardly knew her?

He supposed it was because he was supposed to be her…agent? Bodyguard? Elite servant boy? Again, he came to the question of what he was exactly. He assumed his Diamond would explain for him. He must have been programmed to service her in any way, even at his own expense. At least, that's what his blueprints said.

Regardless, he made the decision to stay by logic for as long as he could. Acting on emotions seemed to only be causing him inconvenience so far.

He was back in the blank room, but he could tell there were people with him this time. They were there, just on the edge of perception, apparently having watched him for a long time.

"You may stand up now," Yellow Diamond said. Her voice was right next to him now, not through a speaker like before. It was then that he realized how big this laboratory must be to hold the full majesty of a Diamond.

He did as told, finding the movement to be easier than ever. He looked to the voice.

Up close, he realized how tall Diamonds were. Yellow Diamond was easily as tall as he was times three and perhaps a little more. If he could feel pain, he would probably feel annoyed to crane his neck to look her in the eye.

"Hello, Yellow Diamond," he said. "Are these tests nearly done?"

"As a matter of fact," she said, "I believe we are completely done. You are currently operating at maximum efficiency. I will turn you over to Pink Diamond now."

"Thank you for all your effort, my Diamond," he said, giving what he recalled was the proper salute: forming his hands into the shape of a diamond, of course. He looked around, unable to see any other figures as towering and imposing as his designer. "Might I ask where Pink Diamond is?"

"Excuse me?" came Pink Diamond's voice. He looked straight ahead. There she was: his Diamond.

She was much shorter than he expected. She was only as tall as he was, perhaps a little taller. But that didn't matter. She was giving him a nervous smile. Why? She was a Diamond, she should be better than him in every way. What did she have to worry about?

"Ahem," she said. "Hello."

"Hello, my Diamond," he said. He was actually glad that she was so short compared to Yellow. This made things much more convenient.

"I have other business to attend to at the moment," said Yellow Diamond. "I will leave you to yourself, Pink."

"Bye, Yellow!" she said, her voice filled with sudden cheerfulness.

They stood there awkwardly while they listened to Yellow's booming steps echo through the hallway. They continued standing there even after the steps faded.

"So…um…" Pink Diamond shuffled her feet awkwardly. "Anyway…can I ask you something?"

"My Diamond," he said. "I live to serve you," he bowed deeply, his arms stiffly at his sides.

"Ahem…" she suddenly smiled. "How about that name?"

He suddenly straightened. "Any name you would give me would be an excellent one, I have no doubt. Might I suggest Titanium?"

"No, that's the name of your metal body," she said. "Speaking of which, why haven't you covered that up yet?"

"I was waiting for your order, my Diamond. I will do that now."

A purple light spread from his gemstone, covering his chest, upper arms, and legs. This time, it continued, even covering his head without obstruction. For a moment he was blinded by the brightness. He took the moment to search into his database to see how Gems were typically dressed. He settled on the typical Homeworld soldier uniform: a jumpsuit covering his body with a small opening for his gemstone. Then the light faded.

He looked at his hands. Pale purple skin replaced his metal wires and tubes. It felt…satisfying. He was happy to look more substantial now.

"Does this form please you, my Diamond?" he asked.

She had a look of pure amazement on her face. Her hands covered her mouth. "It's everything I could have hoped for and more," she said.

"Excellent. Shall we depart? I understand you to be quite busy now that you have your own colony." He attempted walking around her, but was stopped by a surprisingly strong grip on his arm. He looked at her in confusion.

"Don't you want to see how you look?" she asked.

Truly, he did have mild curiosity at his appearance now that he looked presentable. But…

"I don't wish to waste your time any more, my Diamond."

"Nonsense!" she said. "How can anyone go around not knowing what they look like?"

He quickly realized that he wouldn't win this argument, nor any other with Pink Diamond in the future. He stepped back into the room.

"I have a small problem, my Diamond," he pointed out. "I have no way to inspect my own appearance."

She smiled at him. "Good thing I thought ahead and had a mirror brought in here! Rather clever of me, I say!"

He looked to the corner of the room behind him. Indeed, there was a mirror his height leaning there. "I find myself agreeing with you, my Diamond." He stepped closer to the mirror, then stopped. Why was he suddenly so apprehensive about seeing himself? Did he think that he might seem hideous? Maybe he just didn't care that much about his outward appearance or what others thought of it. Well, aside from Pink Diamond, her opinion mattered very much to him for some unknown reason.

"Go on, then!" Pink Diamond, getting impatient, had apparently shoved him from behind, forcing him to stumble forward. Again, he found himself surprised by the strength of this smaller Diamond. He looked up.

It was…about what he expected.

His clothes he knew about. It was the standard Homeworld soldier uniform that all the Quartzes wore, modified for his purposes. The metal boots of his feet were the only things left uncovered, though he saw no need to cover those up. His frame was rather small, perhaps a bit more broad-shouldered than Pink Diamond. He saw the black rectangle of his gemstone directly in the middle of his chest, showing through a diamond-shaped hole in the suit. The rest of him came as a surprise. His skin was pale with a tinge of purple only noticeable on close scrutiny. His face had startlingly sharp features. His hair was short, black, and stood out in many directions at once.

Then he saw his Diamond standing behind him, her eyes peeking over his head filled with excitement.

"I think Onyx is a name that would suit you best," she said. "What do you say?"

He took in the moment. He was seeing himself for the first time, his Diamond was looking at him with approval, and he was being given a name.

He smiled. His teeth were remarkably white. "It suits me."

Onyx would keep this moment saved in his memory for a long time.


	2. But What Is a Good Onyx?

**A/N: Updates will be posted every Sunday from here on out. I'll do my best to adhere to this schedule. Not much else to say, I won't be doing these Author's Notes too often unless I have something important to say. So...yeah.**

* * *

Pink Diamond was a busy Gem. Perhaps this wouldn't be the case had she already owned a colony before Earth. But, as Onyx quickly discovered, everyone must start somewhere.

Pink Diamond was exhausted. Not physically, but mentally. Managing resources across an entire planet was more difficult than she had anticipated, Onyx had no doubt about that.

But she never made any outward signs of distress. Only the closest members of her entourage could see the signs of her unusual behavior, but those who did never said a word about it. To point out the faults of a Diamond would be treason. Diamonds were perfect beings, no question about it.

But even Diamonds were limited in what they could do alone. That is why Pink Diamond, much like the other Diamonds, kept a personal entourage with her to administrate small aspects of the whole.

* * *

They were on the moon base. The vast blue orb of the Earth could be seen to their left. Compared to other moon bases in the Homeworld empire, this one had very little atmosphere and almost as little of a gravitational pull. This wasn't an issue for Gems, who could modify their weight for their own convenience.

His Diamond sat on her throne, with Onyx on her right and her Pearl on her left. There was a line of Gems in front of them, each at stiff attention. These were the members of her administrative staff, each of them specialists in their field. They were each giving their individual reports on the status of their fields. Onyx let his optic and auditory receptors record everything for later review while he inspected each in line.

A Rose Quartz soldier, Cut 7SD. Dressed in the traditional soldier uniform, Gem placed on the chest, denoted as commander of the Rose Quartz battalion. She tapped her foot nervously as she gave her report, suggesting she was unsure of herself. Rose Quartzes were broad, tall, muscular, and had pink hair in various styles and size. Aesthetically, they were idealized versions of Pink Diamond (which Onyx thought appropriate given their creator). This one lead the battalion of her sisters in battle. Earth offered little in the way of resistance, so she rarely found herself to be busy.

The creation of the Rose Quartz soldier was, in Onyx's opinion, the greatest thing Pink had ever achieved. Unlike Amethysts and Jaspers, who relied on brute strength alone for superiority on the battlefield, a Rose Quartz played a more defensive role, able to heal cracked Gems easily and most of them commonly carrying a shield. They were still technically in their trial run, thus the only battalion of Rose Quartzes in the galaxy existed on Earth. Pink told him once how ecstatic she was to see how proud the other Diamonds were of her creation. Somehow, Onyx had a difficult time believing Yellow Diamond to be anything other than serious to a fault.

As for how she had done it…that Onyx could not say. The way to create new types of Gems was the most closely guarded secret in the galaxy. Only a Diamond could do it, that much he knew. The rest was a mystery. It raised many questions as to his own creation, questions he would ask at a more appropriate time.

Next in line: Peridot, Cut 4RF. Green, limb enhancers, gem placed on the back of the neck. The brilliant mind that oversaw the creation of all Gem tech on Earth. Every device from the Gem Injectors in the Kindergartens to the Warp Pads across the planet was built by one of this Peridot's subordinates. According to her, the next batch of Injectors would be ready in the coming week. After she gave her report, she began staring straight ahead, her eyes glazed over as she immersed herself in deep thought.

No Gem was better with machines than a Peridot. Onyx found himself relating to these Gems more than any other. Perhaps it was because they too were Gems that relied on logic. When they realized they were weaker than other Gem types, they reached a logical solution: build devices to improve themselves. This ingenuity is another thing he admired about them.

Final in line: Fire Agate, Cut 3AF. Bright red, standard Agate uniform, Gem replacing the right eye. Head of resource management. While Peridots made the devices that allowed the future colony to run properly, Fire Agate managed their placement on the planet for maximum efficiency. She claimed it to be difficult to find a location suitable for a Beta Kindergarten, but that she had narrowed it down to a few places. She stood perfectly straight, her eyes never wavering from Pink Diamond. She was the very picture of confidence.

Agates came in many types, though as far as Onyx knew there were only aesthetic differences between them. Each one served the same basic functions. Some Agates served as elite bodyguards for high-ranking Gems (though Pink Diamond said she didn't need them with him around, which he believed was an arrogant statement, yet he was still flattered by it), but most served administrative positions like Fire Agate. In his opinion, Onyx found them insufferable. He wondered if this was something Agates acquired during their existence or if they were programmed with this arrogance from the moment they emerged. Regardless, Agates always acted as if they were above everyone else. Of course, in most cases they were, but one thing that Onyx respected about Pink Diamond was how she didn't flaunt her authority for everyone to be annoyed by. This is what Agates did.

Then there was Pink Diamond's Pearl on her left, whose purpose was the same as all Pearls. Stand there. Look aesthetically pleasing. Don't speak unless spoken to.

Then there was himself on her right.

…What purpose did he serve?

In the past weeks since he had been permanently activated, this question had plagued him endlessly. He went back to his previous thought early in his development: no other Gem was like him. He could not compare himself to anyone.

All he had done so far was follow his Diamond wherever she went, standing there while she went about running a planet.

…Did this make him no different than a Pearl?

He had asked this of his Diamond once. She seemed uncomfortable with the question.

"Well, of course not!" she said after much thinking. "Pearls stand around, look nice, and hold stuff for you!"

"This is all I have done for these past weeks," he said. "With all due respect, I feel that you are not utilizing your resources properly."

"Look," she said, suddenly serious. "It's…hard to explain exactly what you do. You're…basically a do-it-all kind of Gem. You…look, when the time comes, you'll know what you can do for me, okay?"

He hesitated, then nodded.

"There's a good Onyx!" she said, patting him on the shoulder.

 _But what_ is _a good Onyx?_ he thought to himself in the present.

"Okay!" said his Diamond, snapping him back to reality. "Everything is in order…you are all dismissed!"

Each member of her entourage saluted and began to walk away.

"Oh, wait!" she shouted. Everyone froze. "Rose Quartz…stay here, will you? Okay, everyone else get out."

Rose Quartz stood back in front of Pink Diamond with the other two leaving. She had confusion in her eyes. She had her hands behind her back and tapped her foot nervously.

"Does something displease you, my Diamond?" she asked.

"Oh, no, nothing serious like that!" Pink said. "I just wanted to ask you a few questions."

"Very well," she said. Her foot stopped tapping.

"Hmmm…" Pink tapped her chin in deep thought. "What do you think of the…indigenous life?"

"You mean the humans?" Rose asked.

Pink was suddenly very excited. "Exactly! Aren't they just the most interesting creatures ever?"

Rose shifted uncomfortably. "Interesting…yes, I'd say so."

Pink suddenly stood up. "Walk with me," she said. Onyx followed her, Rose close behind. They were in front of the window, the Earth in front of them now. Onyx thought what an excellent choice Pink Diamond had made for her first colony. This was certainly "the most beautiful planet ever!" as she had put it.

"What about humans do you like, commander?" she asked.

Rose was staring straight ahead at the planet. "They…they seem to resemble us Gems a great deal."

"I know!" said Pink. "How can it be that they live in such a different environment from us yet look so much like us? I keep thinking about it, but the answer…eludes me, as Blue would say."

Rose nodded, seemingly content with listening for now.

Pink sighed. "I wish I could just…watch them. See them up close, get to know how they get on despite being so…fragile."

Rose glanced at Pink, then back at the planet in quick succession. Onyx had observed many Gems in these weeks of his existence. With most of them, he could easily tell what they were thinking. They wore their thoughts on their face as plain to see as their gemstones.

This one had eyes filled with confusion, and judging by the nervous biting of her lip, was perhaps a bit frightened at the prospect of being singled out for unknown reasons.

Pink was tapping her chin again, deep in thought. She grinned hugely.

"I've got it!" she shouted. "Yes, YES! Why didn't I think of this sooner?"

"M-my Diamond?" Rose asked, apparently taken aback by this outburst.

"A zoo, Rose, a zoo!" she shouted. "A Human Zoo!"

"A human…zoo?" she asked, her voice carefully level.

"Yes! It'll be great!" Pink responded, seemingly unaware of her subordinate's shock. "Just think! High-ranking Gems from all across the empire, gathering together to witness the wonder of humans as I do! It will be amazing!"

Rose seemed to ponder this question. She nodded. "It is an idea worth investigating, my Diamond. How will you execute it?"

"It's easy!" she said. "You and the rest of the soldiers will round up a few humans, and we'll take them to a…um, help me out here…"

"A space station?" Onyx suggested.

"Yes, exactly! A Space Station closer to Homeworld!" She began pacing. "An-and it won't just be for recreation either! It will give us a way to closely observe a human, see it grow, figure out its secrets!"

"My Diamond, I will not deny that my battalion is skilled," Rose said. "But are you sure we can round up an entire _planet_ worth of a species?"

"We don't need to!" Pink said. "That's the best part! Humans don't need the massive amount of resources we do to reproduce! All they need is a male and a female to…um…okay, I'm still a little fuzzy on the details, but that's what we need a zoo for: figuring out the mysteries of this species! Just a handful could last decades, maybe centuries!" She abruptly stopped moving and tapped her chin again. "Hmmm…But you are correct, you might have issues rounding them up. We need to acquire…what's the word?"

"Specimens," Onyx said.

"Yeah, right. Specimens. We need specimens from across the planet. That way, we can observe the differences between the humans of different regions." She grinned again and pointed at Onyx. "That's why _he's_ going with you!"

There was silence as everyone took a moment to process this. Then…

"Very well, my Diamond," said Rose. "Might I ask why?"

"Well…um…" Pink was stumped again. "Help me out here?"

"I can help with the organization of such a massive effort," he said.

"Right! Gosh, where would I be without you, Onyx?" Pink asked.

"I would prefer not to think of that, my Diamond."

"Plus, it's about time for an inspection of the Rose Quartz battalion, anyway." Pink clapped her hands together. "Alright! You, wait outside, Onyx, stay here a minute!"

Rose gave the salute, then left the room. Onyx looked to his Diamond, then noted with some surprise that her Pearl had been next to her the whole time. He found it interesting how Pearls were so often ignored despite their point being to draw attention to their outward beauty. It was a paradox worth contemplating.

"My Diamond, are you sure I am needed for something this trivial?" he asked.

"This isn't trivial, Onyx!" she said. "We're talking about my third greatest idea of all time, the Human Zoo! I wouldn't trust anyone else with the handling of such an…an…endeavor, that's it!"

Onyx looked at the Earth again. "You are sure that you won't need me for anything while I'm gone?"

"Psh, you worry too much!" she said. She placed a hand on his shoulder, which he looked at in confusion. "Look, if I _really_ need anything, I'll just give you a call, got it?"

Onyx nodded. He had software installed that would allow him to transmit and receive messages from across Homeworld's vast empire. This included direct access to the otherwise restricted Diamond communication line though so far, he had no use for it. Hopefully, he wouldn't be in a situation where he would.

"Very well, my Diamond," he said. "I will hopefully report back with good news." He saluted, then walked to the door.

Briefly, he entertained the idea of calling someone other than his Diamond. Yellow Diamond would obviously answer with her default disposition: mildly annoyed. Based on his observations of her thus far, he concluded that this was likely due to her displeasure at wasting any time for any reason. He occasionally felt it more accurate to call her the Champion of Efficiency rather than Logic as he heard so many Peridots call her. He agreed with them, of course, but they obviously had bias since Yellow had created the Peridot line of Gems.

He stopped at the door, turning around. "My Diamond, forgive me but I have one thing I must ask you."

Pink was staring at the Earth in awe once again. It seemed that she was constantly doing that unless she had other business to deal with. She turned at his voice. "Yeeeeesss?"

"You claim that the Human Zoo is your 'third greatest idea of all time.' Might I ask what your other two were?" Admittedly he was a little apprehensive to hear her answer, considering he had been one of her ideas and he had no idea where he fell on that scale.

Pink tapped her chin again. "Hmmm…well, honestly it's a tie."

"Between?"

She smiled. "Well, obviously it's between the Rose Quartzes and…well, you!"

He wasn't sure how he felt being compared to a Rose Quartz. "You can't decide between them?"

"Well, honestly it's a bit early to say which one is better, but you know you still got a fighting chance!" She grinned and turned back to her planet and star gazing. "Alright, that's enough. Run along now."

Onyx nodded, stared at his Diamond for a moment more, then turned and walked out the door.

Blue Diamond was a bit harder to predict. Yellow was all about logic and reason, so he felt he could more easily project her actions. As for Pink Diamond, well he was so sure he knew her one hundred percent that he didn't even bother questioning his ability to predict her. But Blue was…tricky. She was prone to emotions. She spoke based on her immediate reactions. Yet she also was one for taking a very long time to think whenever she had a major decision to make. Calling her could lead to anything from an immediate order for shattering to waiting a whole day for a reply.

He was outside the Moon Base now, walking along the surface to the Warp Pad, where the Rose Quartz commander was waiting. The moon's current rotation meant that the Base would be on the dark side of the moon within the next hour or so. Perhaps that's why Pink was gazing at the planet so much. In an hour, this particular view of the planet would be obscured.

Then there was White Diamond.

…What did he know about White Diamond?

If Blue Diamond was unpredictable, White Diamond was an enigma. He had yet to see her in person since his awakening. The closest he had gotten was hearing Pink say a few words to her on communication before being locked out of the room along with Pink Pearl. He knew so little about White Diamond she might as well be a non-entity. She existed, yet he couldn't perceive her.

What did White Diamond even do? Yellow was the technological expert, Blue was primarily the diplomat of the four, Pink was…too new to accurately describe her specialty. But White simply seemed to…exist.

The activation of the Warp Pad snapped him out of his musings as he was engulfed in light. He hadn't even realized he had stepped on it until it had activated.

"Onyx!" Rose shouted. It was clear based on her tone that this was not the first time she had called him.

He looked to her. "Apologies, commander," he said. "I was lost in my thoughts again."

"Hmph." She crossed her arms. "It seems that's all you do."

Onyx nodded. Sometimes he amazed himself how he could get lost in a tangential subject, thinking so deeply into it in such a short amount of time. In less than a minute, he had gone from thinking of calling his Diamond in an emergency to contemplating White Diamond's existence.

It was a difficult subject to think about. Honestly, he wasn't sure how anyone could think about it without getting a headache. Thankfully, he was above such trivial things as pain.

* * *

Seeing Earth from orbit and observing it from the surface were two different things entirely.

They were on a large peninsula on a continent on the west side of a strip of ocean. The landmass had been placed here from the northeastern continent in a terraforming experiment, resulting in a drastic change in geography. He was still unsure of the details that allowed Homeworld to transport a huge chunk of land from across an ocean to another side of it, but he was still amazed of it nonetheless.

This was the Prime Kindergarten. The sounds of the Injectors drilling through the ground filled the cold, still air. Raw materials were…well, injected into the Earth, where immense pressure caused the materials to compress into a Gemstone. The stone absorbed "life energy" (yet another concept Onyx was unfamiliar with) directly from the planet, which turned it form a simple shiny rock into a full Gem. The newly formed Gem would instinctively break out of the ground as it formed its physical projection, leaving a hole perfectly shaped in their image.

Onyx realized it to be something he would likely never experience being built the way he was.

"Is your battalion not stationed elsewhere on the planet, commander?" Onyx asked over the sounds of the drills.

"It is," she said, almost shouting over the drills, but not threateningly so. "The Warp Pad there is still under construction, so we'll need to get a transport to take us there."

"Fire Agate should be able to procure us a ship," he said. "She is likely still here trying to figure out an optimal location for the Beta Kindergarten."

"Of course. The transport docks are this way." She began walking through the maze-like canyons of the Kindergarten.

"I am well aware," he replied. He had most important Earth locations mapped out in his database, ready to be called up at a moment's notice.

They walked without speaking for a long time. Neither had much to say. Instead, he looked around. There were Gems everywhere, tending to the Injectors, navigating the labyrinth of canyons, and generally looking busy. Some of them likely emerged from this very Kindergarten. It was a interesting process to observe: Gems emerged, built machines to incubate other Gems in the Earth, those Gems emerged in turn, and the cycle continued.

Eventually, of course, the commander had to ask a question that was on her mind, as well as other Gems in Pink Diamond's entourage.

"So, what do you do for Pink Diamond, Onyx?" she asked.

He gave her a sideways glance, having to look up slightly. He was used to it, given that Rose Quartzes were about the same height as Pink Diamond.

"I do precisely what my Diamond requests of me. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Yeah, but what kind of Gem _is_ an Onyx, anyway?" she asked. "I've never seen any other Gem like you on Homeworld."

"I am painfully aware of that, commander," Onyx said. "I can assure you, however, that my necessity will become apparent in the future."

"Did a Sapphire tell you that?" Rose asked, perhaps only half-joking.

"She told my Diamond," Onyx replied. "A Sapphire's precognition is a useful skill, one that has rarely been proven wrong. It was Blue Diamond's greatest achievement in my opinion."

"Hmmm…" Rose Quartz could see the docks from where they were now. Transport ships were lined up in a row, awaiting passengers and primed for takeoff. "Well, if you're so sure you'll be useful, I suppose I am in no place to question you. You do technically outrank me, after all."

Onyx was reminded of his earlier conversation regarding Rose Quartzes and how he compared to them. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, technically speaking we are of equal rank, but she obviously favors you more." She looked at him curiously as they came to a stop in front of one of the transports. "I still have no idea why."

Onyx looked at the transport, deep in thought once more. "I wish I could tell you. However, even I am still unaware of this detail."

"Commander! Onyx as well!" They turned to see Fire Agate walking up to them with one of her subordinates at her heels, a Peridot technician working the Kindergarten. "What a pleasant surprise to see you both here!"

Annoyance was perhaps Onyx's least favorite emotion. There was no logical use for it, it just happened. Fear was obviously for self-preservation. Disgust alerted him to hazardous materials. Annoyance served no purpose and often was simply a distraction that prevented him from focusing on the task at hand.

Perhaps that was why he hated Agates so much.

"We require one of your transports," Onyx said, his gaze sweeping across each of them in turn. "Any of these will do, I suppose."

Fire Agate seemed…unimpressed. Her smile seemed a bit forced now. "What, pray tell, is so important that you need one of these for? Can you not walk wherever you need to?"

"As crazy as it sounds, I don't wish to _walk_ all the way to my battalion's home base, Fire Agate," Rose said. "Why do you need to keep all these empty transports here anyway?"

Agate seemed taken aback that the two of them couldn't see how obvious it was that her needs were greater than theirs. "These transports are for moving around the Kindergarten! Without them, we can't get across the canyons in a timely fashion!"

"Can you not walk wherever you need to?" Rose asked.

Onyx was pleased that the tables had been turned. The same could not be said for Agate.

"Listen," she said. "The efficiency of this Kindergarten will not be compromised because the two of you can't be bothered to get anywhere on your own. Now start walking!" With that, she began walking away.

"Now see here –" Rose's next words were cut off by a gesture from Onyx.

"Allow me," he said. He walked forward and tapped Agate on the shoulder. She threw up her hands as she turned around.

"I told you, you will not be getting anything from me today! Now run off!"

Onyx looked upward. The sky was obscured by a fog, though he could tell by the waning light that night was fast approaching. He wondered idly if the Moon Base was visible from the surface. Of course, it would be on the dark side by now so that mattered little right now.

He looked Agate in the eye again. "The commander and I have been given an official mission from Pink Diamond herself. We will be tasking the Rose Quartz battalion with rounding up a band of humans to be transported to the Human Zoo. You, being head of resource management, should help us in any way you know how. If you obstruct us in any way, you will be violating direct orders from the Diamond authority." He tilted his head quizzically. "You never struck me as one for rule breaking, Fire Agate."

Agates were actually a bit taller than him. Onyx had to remind himself often that he was shorter than most Gems. Though at this moment, he thought it bizarre how it seemed Agate was shrinking herself down.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" she asked. "I am a member of Pink Diamond's personal entourage! What are you? All I've seen you do is stand around and never talk! You're no better than a Pearl!"

Onyx grinned and looked skyward again. He hated Agates so much, yet the two of them jumped to the same conclusion. It was actually impressive. Then he looked her in the eye again, his face devoid of all humor.

"I do whatever my Diamond asks of me," he said. "Nothing more, nothing less. I report directly to her. Technically speaking, we are of equal rank. But I think you will observe should we take this issue directly to her that she favors my opinion more than yours." He looked to the transports again. "Pink Diamond is a very busy Gem, Fire Agate. I doubt she would enjoy being bothered by a matter as trivial as this. If I were you, I would leave this issue be and divert your attention to more pressing matters." He turned his attention back to her, a ghost of a grin on his face. "Let's start over. We require one of your transports. Any of these will do, I suppose."

Fire Agate was at a loss for words. The two of them stood there for an awkward amount of time, simply glaring daggers at each other. Then Fire Agate turned to her Peridot assistant.

"Get a ship ready for them." The Peridot nodded, wisely not commenting on her superior's breakdown as she walked away.

Onyx grinned again, his unnaturally white teeth glaring compared to the rest of his pale features. "Thank you for your service, Fire Agate."

Her eyes were filled with contempt as she looked at him again. "Just get out of my Kindergarten." She stalked off after her Peridot assistant.

Onyx turned to the commander again. "We shall be ready to depart soon, I believe." She didn't reply immediately. "Might I ask what's on your mind?"

She was giving him a calculating look. "I'm thinking…that there's more to you than I first thought, Onyx."

* * *

The transport landed on a peninsula at the eastern edge of the continent. The area here consisted of large ocean bluffs giving way to sand giving way to ocean. Between the bluffs, an alcove existed on which the Rose Quartz battalion had made their home base. Many transports and temporary shelters had been placed at orderly intervals throughout the grassy area near the alcove.

It had been a short ride from the Kindergarten. They were now in the middle of the base, surrounded by many other Rose Quartzes. Occasionally, Onyx could be overwhelmed looking at a sea of Gems that all looked identical to one another. He tried to get used to it.

A second Rose Quartz walked up to them. Thankfully she was distinct from the others by her unnaturally large hair and Gem placement in the abdomen area. Of course, she still wore the standard Quartz soldier uniform, so it was still possible to lose her in a crowd. Onyx idly wondered if even the Diamonds had difficulties differentiating between individual Gems of the same type.

"Commander," the soldier said at stiff attention. "How was the meeting?"

"At ease," the commander said. "Onyx, this is my second-in-command, cut 5CG."

Onyx looked at the soldier. She nodded in greeting, but her face betrayed nothing of her inner thoughts. Strange. Why couldn't he tell what she was thinking?

"It is an honor to meet you, lieutenant," he said.

"The honor is all mine, Onyx," 5CG responded. "We rarely get a visit from Pink Diamond's personal attendant."

"Yes, well, I am here on official business from Pink Diamond herself." He looked to a particularly large hill that ended in a rocky cliff facing the ocean. "Would you mind showing me the progress of the warp pad here?"

"Certainly," 5CG said, leading him to that hill. "We should be done within the next few days."

Even the way she walked told him nothing about this Gem. It was almost like she was absolutely determined to hide everything from everyone. What secrets could a simple soldier have that are so important to hide?

"Excellent," he said. "This is bound to make our next endeavor infinitely easier."

"Our next endeavor?" 5CG asked.

"Indeed," Onyx said. "Our Diamond has come up with what she describes as her 'third best idea yet.'"

He stopped moving, the commander and lieutenant stopping with him. "She wishes to establish a Human Zoo."

For a split second, 5CG's mask fell and he saw her true feelings.

She was horrified.

Then she was back to her usual unreadable self.

"A human…zoo?" Her voice was carefully level.

"Yes," Onyx said, his voice also carefully level. "She wishes to show the Homeworld elite how interesting humans are in her eyes. She thought there would be no better way than a zoo."

5CG nodded. "It seems…reasonable."

"Indeed. She believes this battalion is more than capable of gathering the necessary resources for the project." Onyx began walking again, the other two following him. It seemed 7SD was content watching her second-in-command simply converse with him.

"I am very grateful that Pink Diamond thinks so highly of us," 5CG said. "Ah, it seems we're here."

Indeed, progress on the Warp Pad was going as planned. Several Peridots were gathered around it, working diligently to put it together. Shards of blue crystalline matter lay about everywhere. Currently the Warp Pad seemed more like a bed of stalagmites carved out of the cave it lay in.

He scanned the device. Many diagrams and charts appeared detailing exactly how the Warps managed teleportation of matter and what they were composed of, but he was more interested in its progress.

OBJECT IDENTIFIED: WARP PAD. DEVICE USED FOR NEAR-INSTANTANEOUS TRANSMISSION BY HOMEWORLD GEMS. ANALYSIS SUGGESTS THIS UNIT IS AT 72.9% COMPLETION.

"We're at about 70% completion of the hardware," 5CG said. "Once its complete, we can connect it to the Homeworld transport mainframe. Then travel to this location from anywhere on the planet will be possible."

"Excellent," Onyx said. "However, you sell your progress short. It seems to be more akin to 72.9% completion."

5CG looked at him, wide-eyed and impressed. "You can tell all that just by looking?"

"Indeed," Onyx said. "It is one of my…advantages."

The details of Onyx's mechanical endoskeleton were known only by a select few, including the Diamonds and those who had worked on his construction. He intended to keep it that way; it was difficult to predict how some Gems would react to a mechanical human skeleton powered by Gem technology.

"This concludes my inspection." He turned to the commander. "I shall return to the Moon Base now."

"You can operate the transport on your own?" she asked.

"Of course," he said. "It will run on autopilot once I set the coordinates, will it not?"

The commander nodded. "Good point. Safe travels, Onyx."

He nodded and walked away. As he rounded the bend, he stopped for a moment and turned around. He was just in time to spot 5CG staring at him while her commander gave her instructions.

She made eye contact with him and for a moment they stared for an uncomfortably long time at each other.

Then Onyx walked away, not looking back.


	3. This Will Not Stand!

**A/N: I must say, I'm surprised at the following this story is getting. I honestly didn't expect it to become so popular so quickly. Thank you to everyone who has left reviews so far, you're all keeping me motivated to do more. Even the guy who I'm 90% sure is making all those spelling errors on purpose. And the guy who keeps leaving the exact same review every chapter. Anyway, here's the first major action scene of the story.**

* * *

The Diamonds' will was to be followed without question. That was the oldest and most absolute law of Homeworld. No one questioned it. There were no exceptions.

A Diamond was always right. To question them was to question Homeworld itself.

But there were some who wanted to question Homeworld. They were mostly ignored. They didn't speak loud enough for anyone to hear them. They may as well have been silent.

Then came the day that silence was broken.

* * *

Onyx was outside the courtroom. With him were all the Diamonds' Pearls. This did not include White Diamond's Pearl. Honestly, he didn't believe White even had a Pearl, but he had no evidence to confirm this.

Pink Pearl was staring at the door to the courtroom now. She hadn't moved from that spot since they had been told to leave. He was briefly considering joining her but had decided against it. He knew they were both worried for their Diamond. He also knew that staring at a door was both boring and pointless.

Blue Pearl was almost as unreadable as her Diamond. In the few times he had laid eyes on her, he had never seen her eyes before. Her hair always obscured them. Occasionally, he wondered how she could see where she was going. He briefly entertained the idea that Blue Pearl had X-Ray vision. He dismissed the idea as ridiculous.

Yellow Pearl was…standing right in front of him and giving him an insufferable grin.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"So…" She moved to his right. He watched her with mild interest. It wasn't like he had better to do.

"Yes?" he asked.

"What's it like working for Pink Diamond?" Her voice was high-pitched and nasally. He was surprised that no other Pearls had this voice given their abnormally large noses.

"I couldn't ask for a better duty than serving my Diamond," he said.

"Oh, I can think of _one_ job better than that," she retorted.

There was that emotion again, annoyance. It was unnecessary. It had no logical explanation. Thinking about this annoyed him even more. It was truly a vicious cycle. He stared out the window in a vain attempt to distract his mind.

"Very well, I shall entertain your delusions," he said.

Yellow Pearl's smile grew further. "I say…that Yellow Diamond is greater."

Onyx looked at the ceiling now. Unfortunately, it did nothing more to distract him than the window.

"And why would you carry such delusions, exactly?" he asked.

"Well, it's a simple matter of facts, you see," she said. She followed his gaze, confused at what he could be so transfixed by. "I've been told you enjoy discussing facts."

Perhaps observing the floor would help him resist the urge to punch a hole in the wall.

…No. He could still see that impossibly smarmy face in his peripheral vision no matter where he looked.

"Yes, I have been known to enjoy discussing facts," he admitted. "Though my Diamond rarely shares this sentiment."

"Ah, you see, there is one reason that Yellow Diamond is superior.!" Yellow Pearl seemed certain that with one flaw in Onyx's argument, the entire thing was dismantled.

"No Diamond is superior to another," he said. "Each of them is equally perfect."

Ah, finally she stopped that stupid grin. "Um…well, yes of course! It's just that…well, it's a matter of opinion you see!"

It was Onyx's turn to grin now. "Opinions and facts are two opposing things." He looked her in the eye now. Yellow Pearl recoiled at his piercing purple eyes. They were so intense, almost like they were glowing. "But I shall continue to entertain your argument, seeing how there is nothing better for me to do. One reason that I believe…that I know that my Diamond is superior to yours: Pink Diamond values life more than Yellow Diamond does."

Yellow Pearl hesitated, then scoffed. "That just means that Yellow Diamond knows which resources are appropriate to keep and which resources can be let go of."

"Life is a resource, is it?" Strange. Yellow Pearl did not seem so annoying now that they had engaged in friendly debate. "Pink Diamond also values other means of military might besides strength and intelligence. Her Rose Quartz soldiers are a revolutionary development. Never before has a Gem been able to heal another Gem nor been so unparalleled in defensive capabilities."

"Military might isn't everything!" Yellow Pearl's smile was back, but somehow less unbearable this time. "The Peridots…their intelligence led to cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs!"

"Well, I can't deny that," he said, showing his unnaturally white teeth.

"And…and Yellow Diamond has more colonies than Pink Diamond," Yellow Pearl pointed out. She seemed to think she finally had the upper hand.

Onyx looked out the window again. "That is very true, but given that Pink is a fairly younger Diamond, I believe that assessment is irrelevant in this conversation."

"My Diamond is bigger and stronger than yours!" she said.

"My Diamond is smaller and faster than yours," he replied.

"My Diamond takes good care of me," she said.

"And mine takes care of me," he said.

This went on for some time, neither side really having any significant advantage. Then without warning a loud sliding sound was heard, causing a pause in the flow of the debate.

Onyx smiled. "That was fun, Yellow Pearl, but I'm afraid this debate is over now."

Yellow Pearl blinked, a sharp retort dying on her tongue. "W-what? Why is that?"

"Well first, I don't believe we're getting anywhere with this debate. Secondly, the meeting is over."

"That's right!" a cheerful voice proclaimed.

Yellow Pearl jumped, slowly turning around. There she was, the youngest Diamond, standing there, looking down on her with a huge grin and eyes that seemed to bore right through Yellow Pearl.

"Welcome back, my Diamond," Onyx said. "Based on your cheerful disposition, I take it the meeting was productive?"

Pink Diamond walked up to Onyx suddenly taking him up in a huge hug. "Oh, Onyx! They approved the Human Zoo!"

Onyx felt enormous pressure around the middle of his body. It was reaching dangerous levels.

"My Diamond," he said, "you are at risk of damaging me if you continue."

"Oops, sorry! I did it again!" she dropped Onyx on the ground, landing him on his back with a loud metallic thud. He stood up, shakily regaining his balance. After a while, he stood up straight.

"At any rate," he said, "congratulations on the approval, My Diamond."

"Oh, I just can't wait!" She was bouncing up and down for some reason. "We need to get back to the Moon Base right now, there's so much to do!"

"Indeed, my Diamond," Onyx said. "Of course, I shall be with you every step of the way."

"There's a good Onyx!" she said. "Come along, Pearl!"

Onyx jumped as Pink Pearl walked up to her Diamond. When had she moved to stand next to him?

They began walking away. Onyx nodded to Yellow Pearl in farewell. She flinched in response.

"Oh shoot! Almost forgot!" she turned around to address Yellow and Blue Pearl. "The two of you need to head back in there, your Diamonds are waiting for you.

Blue Pearl nodded and walked back in. Yellow Pearl, shaking nervously, was about to do the same.

"Oh, and Yellow Pearl?" She flinched at the voice of a superior.

"Y-y-yes, m-my Diamond?" she asked.

In the same tone she had used when delivering the good news, Pink Diamond said:

"If I catch you talking with Onyx again, I'll shatter you myself, okay?"

Yellow Pearl opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She instead nodded and ran inside.

Onyx frowned as they continued on their way to the Galaxy Warp Homeworld Station.

"My Diamond, was that really necessary?" he asked. "The two of us were merely engaged in friendly debate."

"Well of course it was necessary!" Pink Diamond said. "I don't know what she tells her Pearl, but Yellow Diamond gives her way too much confidence. If she's not careful, that sharp tongue of hers could get her shattered."

"But to threaten shattering after that? The punishment seems to outweigh the crime in my opinion."

"Well, you have to be harsh!" she said. Then she frowned and began tapping her chin. "Well, that's what Yellow told me anyway." She deepened her voice in an immature mimicry of her maternal figure. "'Pink, you must be more assertive, or your subordinates won't respect your authority!' Ugh! Like I don't know how to be a leader, I'm a Diamond for crying out loud! Anyway, it's like what you told me about with Fire Agate the other day. Sometimes you encounter Gems who overextend their authority and need to be put in their place. Yellow Pearl is like that. Understand?"

"I think so," he said, gazing at the floor thoughtfully. He looked to Pink Diamond's other side, watching Pink Pearl walk slightly behind them as was customary for her type of Gem. He was curious about her thoughts toward this conversation topic, but knew it was not the best time. Instead, he turned to his Diamond and voiced another question on his mind.

"Why is the Pearl inferior to other Gem models?"

Pink Diamond stopped walking, and her companions with her. Pink Pearl was looking at him curiously. When he turned to look at her she immediately snapped her gaze straight ahead, her face unreadable.

"Ummm…" Pink paced back and forth, continuing to tap her chin. "Well, it's just that…that's just the way it is?"

"I don't follow," Onyx said.

"Right, you don't take simple answers like that." She stopped and looked at the ceiling. "How can I explain this in a way you'll understand…It's like…no, I guess that's not really…hmmm."

They stood there in silence for a while. Onyx tried to comprehend the answer on his own. He drew up files from the Homeworld database to help him.

Pearls were apparently designed for one purpose: looking aesthetically pleasing. On this end they mainly served the same function as works of art, like murals or statues. They had no remarkable combat capabilities, though theoretically it was possible for them to form weapons like any other Gem. No instance of this happening had ever been recorded. They were physically unimpressive compared to other Gems, but this still made them powerful compared to other species.

The question he asked was this: why? Surely it would make more sense to have more Gems with the same level of capability as everyone else. What made Pearls different? No data file he could find had this desired information.

All this was processed in his mind within seconds.

"I guess I never really thought about it that hard," Pink Diamond finally said, snapping Onyx out of his deep thought. "It's just always been that way since before I was created. I never thought to ask, either."

"It's not your fault," Onyx reassured her. "That sort of question is not something people usually think about."

"I suppose you're right," Pink said. She began walking again, her subordinates following her. "Whatever the reason Pearls are considered inferior, I'd suggest you not engage in conversation with any more of them from now on. Even if you're the one engaging the conversation, understood?"

"I was under the impression that Pearls were not to speak unless spoken to. If I initiate the conversation, I am within the law am I not?"

"That's technically true but…how do I put this…" She looked at him, twiddling her thumbs. "You lack a certain…tact."

"Tact?" He wasn't sure what this had to do with caste system politics.

"Yeah, you have a habit of just…blurting out whatever's on your mind without considering the other person's position."

"I'd like to think that I show more respect to you, my Diamond." He was suddenly worried that he had offended her somehow before.

"Oh, well I never get that treatment from you! You're the best when it comes to that stuff! It's just that, well with other people you just talk without thinking."

"I think at many times the speed of a normal Gem," he said. "I carefully map out every word I will say in mere milliseconds."

"But – shoot, there's a word for it – you don't think of how your words affect the other person. If you did, it would be safer for you to talk with Pearls; you'd be able to recognize their position and know what is and isn't okay to talk about." She patted his shoulder. "Something for you to think about, okay? If not for your own safety, then for others' safety."

"Empathy is a difficult subject for me to comprehend," he said. "For you, I will do my best."

She smiled pleasantly. "Thanks for understanding."

"As I said, my Diamond," he said as he gave his own grin, "for you, I will do my best."

Pink Diamond's smile faded, and she went back to looking forward. "Smiling without looking like a psychopath is another thing for you to think about."

* * *

The Human Zoo was a huge affair. Its construction would take six months at best even with Homeworld's advanced technology. Rounding up humans was another story.

It had been a week since the Human Zoo had been approved. Onyx had spent this week on Earth aiding in the mission to acquire as many humans as possible for the trial run. The Rose Quartz battalion had worked flawlessly, rounding up a total of 100 specimens for the trial run.

Onyx was on one of the transports carrying the humans to the base at the peninsula that was now known as Sector 11. This was where the Rose Quartz soldiers had been stationed and where he had visited the day Pink Diamond had come up with the Human Zoo. The commander stood next to him, surveying the land as the transport flew over it.

As for Onyx, he was busy with a private call with Pink Diamond.

"Yes, my Diamond, we are on the way to the warp now," he said. "From there we will travel to the Galaxy Warp and from there we will see you in Homeworld."

"That's wonderful!" she cried. "I look forward to seeing you all soon!"

"The feeling is mutual." With that the call ended.

The commander looked at him now. "Hard to believe this is actually happening. The whole 'Human Zoo' thing. What do you think about it?"

Onyx watched the landscape speed by through the windshield. "It is certainly an interesting idea. I am glad that Homeworld will have an opportunity to study these humans more closely. Perhaps the knowledge gleaned will be…put to good use." He had stopped himself from saying what he truly thought: _perhaps it will be used to improve me._

"I know what you mean. I'm pretty interested in humans as well." She glanced behind her at the various human specimens restrained to their seats.

There were 25 humans on board the ship with them. Each of them had a unique look. Some were paralyzed with terror, some were looking around wildly in confusion, etc. Each of them was taken from the forest area of Sector 11 west of the base. Eight other Rose Quartz soldiers were marching up and down the transport, quieting the nervous ones and keeping careful watch over the others.

"I'll let you in on a little secret though," the commander said, turning back to Onyx. "The real human fanatic on Earth is my second-in-command."

"Cut 5CG, the one with the large curly hair?" he asked.

"That's a good memory you got there," the commander said. "Yes, she never stops talking about them. She's utterly fascinated by the creatures."

Onyx remembered then how horrified 5CG had seemed when the Human Zoo idea had first been mentioned to her. "I would keep a close eye on her if I were you, commander."

She gave him a confused look. "Why is that? She's a very dependable ally and a close friend."

Onyx looked the commander in the eye as stone-faced as ever. "I have reason to believe she is against the Human Zoo."

The commander blinked. "Is that so? She never seemed that distressed at the idea before."

"One of my many…talents is interpreting a person's thoughts based on their body language and facial expressions." He carefully replaced the word "functions" with "talents." "At the mention of the Human Zoo approximately one week ago, I saw her eyes widen and her back stiffen. I also heard the smallest of gasps. All this evidence points to two emotions: shock and horror. Think carefully, did she act strangely during the preparation for this expedition?"

The commander stared at the landscape again, hand on her chin. "I…actually when I think hard, it _might_ be that she was resistant to the idea. She seemed very adamant about helping the Peridots with tending to the transports, particularly this one."

"Does she usually work closely with the Peridots?" he asked.

"Yes, I usually have her manage the technological aspects of everything at base." Suspicion and doubt began building on the commander's face.

"Does that include the warp pad?" An idea was forming in his head.

"Yeah…" The commander looked at the collection of humans again. "What do you think it means?"

"Hopefully nothing," Onyx said. "I may just be paranoid." He turned around, looking at the humans in the storage section. "I will be right back, I need to check on something."

The commander nodded. Onyx walked through the storage, nodding to the soldiers as he passed by.

He got an idea. He stopped in front of a human, a female. He turned to her and grinned. In response, she screamed in horror and the male next to her shouted something angry and unintelligible at him.

So, he still needed to work on that smile. He continued on, ignoring the horrified cries of the female and the enraged shouts of the male. He switched to scan mode, looking carefully around the ship.

He reached the back. Beneath him was the entrance to the ship, a section of the floor that extended into a ramp. In front of him on the outside of the ship were the main thrusters propelling the ship forward.

He swept the room with his gaze.

…No, his sensors couldn't detect anything within the ship.

He turned around and walked back to the cockpit. Maybe he really was being paranoid.

* * *

The transport landed at the beach when the sun was just going down. The commander and Onyx stepped out, the soldiers behind them guiding the humans out. They saw that they had been the last to arrive. There were two empty transports already and the third already had its humans being loaded onto the warp pad. As many as could fit on the warp pad with a single Gem were loaded onto the warp pad to disappear in a flash of light. Meanwhile, the Rose Quartzes were taking a much deserved rest.

"It seems that things went off without a hitch," the commander said. "Guess you really were being paranoid."

Onyx nodded slowly, surveying the scene. He couldn't detect any threats so far. "I still want to be sure. We need to find 5CG."

The commander almost seemed disappointed when she gave a nod. She looked out at the crowd of Gems and grinned. "Well, it's like she heard us or something."

There she was, running up to them with that huge hair flying all over the place.

"Commander," she said when she reached them. "I take it that you found the right amount of humans?"

"All 50 of them are being escorted right now," the commander said with a smile.

"Excellent, my team can take it from here," 5CG said, her Gem team running up to them. Some Peridots and Amethysts and…her Pearl. Onyx knew that 5CG had a Pearl, but he had never seen the latter before. He always assumed the Pearl was kept in 5CG's quarters, much like where the commander kept her Pearl.

"I will go with you," Onyx said.

5CG looked at him, her face still unreadable. "That won't be necessary, my team is more than capable of escorting the humans on our own."

Onyx tilted his head. "Please, I insist. More Gems can only be more useful."

5CG opened her mouth to reply when the commander interrupted.

"I suggest you do what he says, lieutenant," she said. "He's not going to take no for an answer."

5CG stared at her commander for a moment, with the latter staring back. Finally, 5CG nodded and beckoned to Onyx. They walked away, Onyx making sure to stay close to Rose. He looked back at the commander and nodded at her in reassurance. She nodded back and went into the transport to rest.

Then he noticed something odd. He stopped moving for a moment, and 5CG did as well after some time.

"Something wrong, Onyx?" she asked.

He scanned the ship. It was in perfect working order, but he could see several rectangular objects attached to the thrusters. He zoomed on them and scanned.

OBJECT IDENTIFIED: TYPE-5 REMOTE EXPLOSIVE DEVICE. DESIGNED FOR SABOTAGE OF HEAVY MACHINERY. STATUS: ARMED.

"Get out of there!" he called to the commander. He began running toward the transport. She looked up at him in confusion, as did the soldiers next to her. "There are bombs, they'll explode any second!"

"He knows! Do it now!" 5CG cried out.

He heard a beep, then the ship exploded.

A huge blast of fire, smoke, and sheer force made him fly back. He slid through the sand before finally disappearing under the water.

He stood up as quickly as he could, the water hindering his movement. He looked up. From this angle it was impossible to tell what was happening on the beach. It would only get harder as the last light of day was fading even as he thought of his next move.

He bent his knees and, with as much force as he could muster, leapt as high as he could.

He kept going upward even as he broke the surface of the water. As he fell towards the beach, he surveyed the scene.

5CG and her team was engaged in combat with the Rose Quartzes loyal to Homeworld. Meanwhile, the humans that were previously being lined up for the warp pad took the distraction as an opportunity for escape. They ran around the bend, facing no resistance as every soldier was too busy dealing with 5CG and her allies.

He landed at the edge of the water, a cloud of sand erupting from his massive weight landing from so high up. His dark purple arm cannon was already forming as he stepped into battle.

An Amethyst yelled as she charged him, her massive body and flaming whip demanding his attention. She flung the whip at him, its three-pronged flaming tip wrapping around his left arm. He anchored his feet in the sand, using his massive weight to resist the Amethyst's attempts at yanking him forward. He pulled his arm back, and the Amethyst flew towards him. She had a look of intense shock as he used his right arm, the one with the cannon on it, to backhand her. The impact sent her flying, leaving her sprawled in the sand.

He thrust his left arm into the sand, suppressing the flames. No sooner had he done so than a green blast of energy pushed him back. The blast sent him off balance, forcing him to land on his behind. He looked up to see a Peridot, another green energy blast already forming on her limb enhancer. He raised his own arm cannon, blowing the device off the Peridot's arm with his own purple laser. He only took a moment to observe her miniscule arm before destroying her physical form with another laser.

He stood up, looking at his left arm. There wasn't much damage to his endoskeleton, but his skin had partially burned away to reveal the wires and tubes within. With a little concentration, the holes in his arm were covered in light and his pale skin covered his arm once more.

He looked up. Who else would be there to challenge him than the leader of the traitors herself? 5CG had her shield at the ready, taking a perfect fighting stance.

"Stand down now," Onyx said over the raging cacophony of the battle near them. "If you do, I might be able to promise you a fair trial."

"You know I can't," she said. "It doesn't matter how 'fair' the trial is, I'll still be shattered for this. I've come this far, and I don't plan on turning back now!"

"Why are you doing this?" He began circling the traitor as he spoke, trying to find a way to break through that impenetrable defense. She in turn circled him. "Pink Diamond treats all you Rose Quartzes with the utmost respect. She loves humans just as much as you do."

"Don't you see?" she asked. "She doesn't love humans, she's fascinated with them! She doesn't see them as living beings, only as resources to exploit!"

"Every living thing in the universe exists to benefit Homeworld's empire," he said. "This law is as old as the Diamonds themselves."

"Maybe I don't want to benefit Homeworld!" she cried. Now she was the one with the water to her back. "I want to live for myself! And as you can see, I'm not alone! Look behind you at the allies to my cause for proof of this."

"Your cause?" he asked. "What nonsense are you spouting now?"

"My people and I don't want to work for Homeworld anymore!" she shouted. "We want to live on our own as individuals, not be slaves to the Diamond authority! Surely you must have the same feelings as I do? Don't you want to be free? Don't you –"

She was cut off by a purple laser hitting her leg.

"No," he said. "I'm just fine how I am." He had seen it: she was too focused on protecting her Gemstone on her navel. This left her lower areas wide open for attack.

Still, it was impressive that she was still standing. Sure, it wasn't a direct hit, but his lasers were powerful.

No matter, this next attack would finish her. Rose's shield dissipated as she lost focus on it. The wound in her leg would heal, but not quick enough to get away.

"It seems your rebellion is over before it ever began," he said as the barrel of his arm cannon glowed for another attack. "I will see you at your trial."

He took a step forward.

Then a spear began protruding from his shoulder.

His arm flew off course, the laser flying right past Rose Quartz and making a plume of water shoot out of the sea. The spear withdrew from his body. He turned with some difficulty to look at the Gem who had beaten him.

It was a Pearl. 5CG's Pearl. She was glaring at him with eyes as wild as any Jasper in the heat of battle and her teeth bared like an Amethyst preparing to charge.

"Get away from my Rose!" she cried. She stabbed him in the leg next, causing him to fall on his back in the sand. The spear disappeared as Pearl ran up to Rose, helping her to her feet.

"Retreat!" Rose Quartz called. The fighting stopped as the rebels who were left standing scooped up the Gemstones of their comrades who weren't and ran to the Warp Pad. A steady stream of light erupted from the device as Gem after Gem disappeared into it. He lifted his head as he watched Rose limp past him helped along by her Pearl.

"How?" he demanded. "How is this possible?"

Pearl turned to him with her eyes defiant and a grin that rivalled Yellow Pearl's. "You really need to open your mind."

Rose turned to him as well. "Give a message to Pink Diamond for me, will you?"

"Silence!" he raised his right arm, though he couldn't muster up the concentration to form his weapon. The damage to his body demanded his attention.

"Tell her the rebellion has begun. Your move."

* * *

They turned and limped onto the Warp Pad, a Bismuth beckoning to them urgently.

Then the Warp Pad's light faded and the scrambled forces of Homeworld were left stunned and speechless.

As he materialized in Homeworld's loading bay, he struggled to keep himself from falling over.

Pink Diamond, a smile vanishing from her face instantly, ran up to him. "Onyx! What on Homeworld happened to you?"

Onyx limped past her, surveying the area. The humans they had acquired were looking around, some in fear, some in awe. Rose Quartz soldiers marched in behind him and he saw one carrying several Gemstones. Was one of those the commander? He didn't bother to scan it to find out.

He turned to his Diamond. "We were attacked from within. The second-in-command of the Rose Quartz battalion lead a small resistance force against us. They sabotaged one of our transports and used the distraction to allow nearly half of our captured humans to escape. As a result we only managed to capture 57 of our projected 100 human specimens for the Human Zoo's trial run."

Pink Diamond's face was a mixture of emotions. Worry for him, shock at this turn of events, frustration at her plans going awry. It was a combination he had never seen before on his Diamond. "That…that's…"

"You needn't worry, my Diamond," he said. "Even with the humans we have, we may still have enough to work with for the trial run. As for myself, I will be fine after repairs are administered to me."

"You don't _look_ fine to me!" she said.

The holes in his body had begun sparking now. "I am losing power, but I assure you I will be fine."

She began pacing, twisting the skirt of her outfit in frustration. "Y-you said it was a Rose Quartz who led the attack?"

"Correct," he said. "She was aided by several Gems of other types as well. I can give you and the other Diamonds a full briefing once my repairs are complete.

Pink Diamond stopped pacing. She looked up at the handful of Rose Quartz soldiers who were watching the exchange with interest. She walked up to one, looking down on her. She was short for a Diamond, but still she was a good head taller than most of the Gems there.

The soldier looked at her with mild worry. "M-my Diamond, did I do something wrong?"

Pink Diamond then thrust her hand through the soldier, disrupting her form in a puff of smoke and grabbing her Gem at the same time.

"My Diamond!" Onyx cried. "What are you doing?"

The other soldiers could do nothing but stand frozen in fear at their leader as she turned to face him. She was giving him a look that triggered an emotion he hadn't felt before in her presence.

He was afraid at the look in her eyes. It was like she intended to tear Homeworld apart with her bare hands.

"This will not stand," she growled.


	4. The Question (Part 1: Skewed Priorities)

**A/N: I will be incredibly busy this coming Sunday, so I decided to be generous and post this week's chapter on Friday. Consider it an early/late birthday gift from me. The regular schedule will resume on Sunday, February 25. What can I say except You're Welcome?**

T **his Will be Part One of a two (possibly three) part story arc involving one big question whose answer will start to unravel Onyx's blind faith in his Homeworld, featuring cameos from fan-favorite Gems who may or may not have abandoned ship. What is that question? Assuming I didn't mess up somewhere down the line, you will probably be able to guess by the end of this chapter. If not...well, just you wait until the next one!**

* * *

The attack on the Human Zoo project had tipped Pink Diamond over the edge. From that day forward, her behavior was more erratic. The slightest infringement would set her off, and from there it was all Onyx could do to hold her back from shattering any Gem that stood in front of her. This was difficult when Pink Diamond would occasionally set herself on fire to get him off.

This was how Pink Diamond was in the early days leading up to the war. Attacks occurred from the currently unnamed rebels on key Gem facilities like the Galaxy Warp, the Lunar Sea Spire, etc. Pink Diamond's immediate response was an all-out assault in every case. She was convinced that simply overwhelming the rebels with sheer force was enough to get them to leave her alone.

She had a lot to learn.

Then the other Diamonds got involved. Yellow told her to let the rebels have the planet. The result was obvious: Pink Diamond stomped about with her fingers in her ears and simply would not listen to her.

Blue had a better idea for her.

The plan was as follows: Blue Diamond would travel to Earth, announcing her presence by requesting a negotiation with the leader of the rebels. A trap would be set. Blue would bring with her several soldiers disguised among her entourage of nobles in her court. They would overwhelm the rebels and the war would be over before it could really begin.

Onyx learned a valuable lesson the day the trap was set: life rarely went according to plan.

* * *

Pink Diamond sent him to the meeting as a representative of her court. They were at the Cloud Arena for this meeting of diplomats. This was a place that had normally been used for holding epic battles between members of the Homeworld military for the entertainment of the Homeworld elite…or so he had been told. Honestly, he had never witnessed one of these battles.

He was standing stock still, staring at Blue Diamond's palanquin. Its contents were veiled from view, but he could make out the tall, vague silhouette of a hooded figure. He was surrounded by other Gems, mostly nobles, each discussing some topic or another. He was too preoccupied with his thoughts to care what they were saying.

Once again, he found himself contemplating the inner thoughts of the Diamonds.

He had understood Yellow Diamond's reasoning when she had suggested abandoning the Earth colony. An all-out-war that this conflict was quickly building up to was not a desirable outcome. Resources were drained as a result of war. Eventually, the cost of waging the war became greater than the reward gained through victory. This conflict must be solved quickly, though he wasn't sure if he agreed with her idea of abandoning Earth altogether.

Earth was an untapped colony. There was so much potential left in this planet. Pink Diamond had only had this colony for a little over two centuries before he had been created. Giving up this colony before it had truly been established was out of the question.

Well, that was his reasoning for keeping the colony. For Pink, she simply wanted to keep it and that was that.

He briefly amused himself with the fact that a human being might find two hundred years to be very long indeed. Of course, to a Gem, two hundred years seemed to pass very quickly indeed. Sometimes he felt that a day had passed only to realize that it had been months. He supposed that was the way all Gems perceived the passage of time given their abnormally long lifespans. However, that didn't seem to be the case with him recently. Perhaps it was because of everything happening lately, but days were moving at an almost human pace.

"Hey!"

He looked away from the palanquin. He had been lost in thought again. He turned to the speaker.

A Lapis Lazuli. It was rare to come across one of these. They were exceptionally powerful Gems, capable of bending water to their will. They were primarily used for siege; one Lapis Lazuli, when supplied with enough water, could bring down any structure no matter how great. And to top it all off, there were even reports of them using water to give themselves lift and fly. Of course, the cost to produce even one of these was astronomical: enough energy to make a dozen Jaspers many times over was the minimum requirement for one of them.

"Apologies," he said. "I was lost in thought. It is a bad habit of mine."

"Is that any excuse to ignore me three times?" she asked. "I was asking who you are and what you're doing here."

Onyx nodded. "I am here as a representative of Pink Diamond's court."

Lazuli inspected him critically. She was looking at him the same way a Peridot might inspect a defective piece of machinery; in layman's terms, she was trying to figure out what made him tick.

"Why would she send you?" It was clear from her tone that she didn't mean it as an insult. She was merely curious why he was important enough for a "diplomatic" mission like this.

"I am Pink Diamond's personal attendant," he said. "I do whatever she requires of me. Nothing more, nothing less."

Lazuli had a moment of realization. "You're that Onyx guy, the one that everyone's whispering about."

"Whispering?" Why would anyone whisper about him? He was a Gem like any other, wasn't he?

"Yeah, if you got your head out of the clouds, you might even hear some of what they're saying," she pointed out. Then she grinned. "Then again, kind of hard to do that at the _Cloud_ Arena."

Onyx could tell from that look on her face that he should find this funny.

…

After a prolonged silence, she sighed. "You're just like everyone else here. You don't have a sense of humor either."

"My sense of humor," he said, turning to look at the palanquin again, "is too complex for you to understand."

"Riiiiight," she replied. There was another awkward silence. Then she gasped. "Look, they're finally here!"

He looked to where Lazuli was pointing. Indeed, while they had been talking, a new individual had entered the Arena. All conversation ceased for a moment as many turned to stare.

A Sapphire had entered. She was shorter than most other Gems at just half Onyx's own height. Her hair obscured everything above her nose and her full lips formed into an almost perfectly straight line. Overall, she gave off an air of mystery, like she knew something that everyone else didn't. In the case of a Sapphire, this was almost always true.

The crowd split to form a path to Blue Diamond's palanquin from where Sapphire was standing. Onyx knew from his briefing before his departure to Earth that this Sapphire was here to give Blue Diamond guidance on how to conduct the trap.

He remembered Pink Diamond's words so clearly.

" _Listen, just do as Blue Diamond tells you, alright?" she commanded. "You may not think she's as great as me, which I don't blame you for, but she_ does _know what she's talking about. She'll summon one of her Sapphires to the proceedings to tell her how everything's going to go down. My Rubies can handle standing guard over her. It is important that you do everything in your power to make sure that whatever good future this Sapphire sees comes true."_

A Sapphire's precognition was a tricky thing to work with. The future is not set. Every tiny action could result in a drastically changed future from what time had originally decided. Though Onyx didn't understand how exactly a Sapphire's ability worked, he did know that it was a useful tool that should be used as effectively as possible.

Three red figures leapt down and surrounded the Sapphire. Next to him, Lapis Lazuli tensed up.

"An attack already?" she asked.

"No, the security has arrived," he said.

Three Rubies, practically identical aside from their gem placements, were escorting the Sapphire to the palanquin.

If ever there was an antithesis to the Sapphire, it would be the Ruby. Sapphires were rare aristocratic Gems, Rubies were mass-produced foot soldiers. Sapphires used their minds to gain greatness, Rubies solved every problem with their fists.

"That's all they could get to keep her safe?" Lazuli asked. "Just three Rubies?"

"It is true that Rubies are…mentally challenged," he said. "It is also true that they are weak individually. However, each one costs much less to make than most other types of Gems. When they fuse together, three Rubies can be just as strong as any Quartz soldier, perhaps more so."

"Is that so?" Lazuli nodded, watching the escort walk by with even more interest now. "Have you ever seen it? Fusion, I mean."

Onyx looked back at Lazuli. "I have much knowledge about how fusion works. Two or more Gems combine their physical hard light forms and share the energies within their Gemstones to create a greater and more powerful singular form." He shrugged. "Though to be honest, I have never seen it firsthand."

Lazuli nodded. "So, I guess you've obviously never experienced it for yourself, then."

Onyx paused. He honestly wasn't sure whether fusion was possible for him. His metal endoskeleton was only the first problem he would encounter should he attempt fusion. The question of what he would do with it during the act was not one easily answered.

His second problem: he likely didn't have enough energy in his Gemstone to execute fusion in the first place. Based on his blueprints, he knew that his Gemstone had been specially made to work with the Titanium frame. The stone had been removed from the earth several hundred years too early in development. As a result, he had inherently less energy in his system than any other Gem. He could project a physical form using his endoskeleton as a base. He could summon a weapon. Theoretically, abilities like fusion and shapeshifting were forever lost to him. He tried to make up for this shortcoming by using his superior defense and mind as effectively as possible.

"Why the interest in fusion?" he asked.

Lapis Lazuli shrugged. "I guess it's just not something that the elite get to participate in very often," she said. "I mean, I'm the only Lapis Lazuli on Earth right now. No one else would fuse with me." She didn't seem sad about this fact. As far as Onyx could tell, this Gem didn't desire fusion, she was merely…curious.

That would be the third obstacle he would face: if he was the only Onyx in existence, no one else would ever want to fuse with him.

"Excellent point," he said. He was about to say something else when he noticed something: all conversation in the Arena had stopped. He turned to the escort. One of the Rubies had apparently bumped into the Sapphire on accident based on the way the former was backing away quickly. The latter, of course, had no reaction.

"Oh, I…um," the Ruby stammered, "I'm so sorry, I…let me –"

"I'm fine." It was a curt response, direct and to the point. Just like a Sapphire. It was also not the answer anyone had expected.

"What?" the Ruby asked, sounding just as confused as Onyx felt at the moment.

"It's okay," the Sapphire said, a small smile on her face. "It was bound to happen."

The two stood there for a long, awkward moment. Conversation gradually returned to the Arena as the crowd returned to more interesting topics. However, Onyx continued to stare at the group.

"Now please wait here," Sapphire said. "I must attend to my duties."

The Rubies realized that they had arrived at the palanquin and each stepped away to allow their charge passage. Then the Sapphire stepped past the veil and out of both sight and earshot.

"Interesting," he said. "Most other Gem elite might not have been so kind."

"That's what's so great about Sapphires," Lazuli said. "They don't care if something bad happens because they see it coming. It gives them time to prepare themselves mentally."

Onyx nodded. They stood in silence for a moment, neither of them having anything to say. Rather than getting lost in his thoughts again like he usually did, Onyx decided to do something different.

He listened to the people around him.

He heard many voices, not distinguishing between them, only hearing what they were saying.

"So anyway, did you hear what Pink Diamond did with her Rose Quartz soldiers?"

"I heard she had imprisoned them and had them interrogated one at a time."

"Yes, exactly! She was convinced they might tell her something about the rebel leader."

"Oh, right, she's a Rose Quartz too! Do you think that this trap might work?"

"As long as everything goes according to the Sapphire's premonition. Anyway, I heard that none of them could tell Pink Diamond anything! So, she shattered every one of them herself."

"No way!"

Onyx stopped listening. He already knew that was hyperbole. His Diamond was too attached to her creations to discard them so permanently like that. He should know, he interrogated every single one of those soldiers.

"Excuse me."

He looked down. The Sapphire was staring up at him. "My Diamond wishes for you to meet with her."

Onyx nodded. He turned to Lapis Lazuli. "It was a pleasure speaking with you. I hope we cross paths again."

"Cut-1MG," Lazuli said. "That's my designation."

"I'll keep it in mind," Onyx said, walking away.

He heard a conversation between two of the Rubies as he approached them. The third was staring at the ground as Sapphire went to stand next to her.

"Hey, who's that guy?" Ruby 1 asked, pointing at Onyx.

"Oh, I think it's that Onyx guy from Pink Diamond that her clarity was talking about."

"No way! I heard about him! I heard that at the attack on the Sea Spire, he took on three Amethysts by himself!"

"I heard that he's strong enough to lift three Jasper's above his head!"

"I heard that he's actually a machine!"

Onyx stopped moving directly in front of them.

"Psh, don't be stupid, Ruby!" Ruby 2 said. "Where did you even get that idea anyway?"

"Um…" Ruby 1 tried not to make eye contact with her comrade. "I heard it…from…sssssooommmewheeerrre?"

"I mean look at him!" Ruby 2 indicated the figure towering in front of them, oblivious to his growing impatience. "He's just like you or me! Except he's taller and cooler and more smarter and stuff!"

"He is also standing right in front of you," Onyx said, slowly turning his head to look down on the diminutive Gems. "He would also appreciate it if you didn't talk about him behind his back. Or directly in front of him."

He leaned down, his face inches away from Ruby 1's face. "Or, if you're going to do it, at least make sure he doesn't hear you," he whispered.

Ruby 1 gazed into his eyes for a moment. Then she smiled and nodded. "Okay, thanks for the advice!"

Onyx glared at the guard a moment longer before standing up straight. It was impossible to intimidate Rubies. The last thing he heard before stepping through the veil into the palanquin was one last comment from one of them.

"Who knew he was so wise, too?"

He grinned. Rubies were so amusing at times.

He saw Blue Diamond before him, sitting upon her massive throne. Her face was obscured by the shadows of her hooded cloak. He knew the elite of Blue's court had a thing for obscuring their faces; even Blue Diamond's Pearl, standing at attention next to her, had her eyes obscured by her hair. He suspected this had to do with something he observed when he saw Blue Diamond in private: her face betrayed her emotions no matter how hard she tried to hide them. Thus, she hid her face in public.

"What seems to be the matter, my Diamond?" Onyx asked.

"I wish to discuss the execution of the plan." Her voice was soft, yet powerful. It commanded authority yet also seemed to lull whoever heard it into a serene trance.

Blue Diamond tilted her head. "What's so funny?"

Onyx hadn't realized he had still been grinning. "Apologies, I had been amusing myself with the antics of Rubies when you summoned me."

Blue Diamond nodded in understanding. "I must give you exact instructions for the trap."

"Based on your tone, I trust your Sapphire had good news?"

"Indeed," Blue said. "According to her, the rebels will arrive and destroy the physical forms of several Quartz soldiers, two of her Ruby guards, and herself. The rebellion will end here."

"Excellent," Onyx said. "What is my role here?"

Blue hesitated. She leaned forward in her seat so he could see her eyes clearly. He was transfixed by those pupils strangely shaped like four-pronged stars. She spoke with utmost seriousness when she said:

"You will do nothing."

Onyx tilted his head. "Pardon?"

"In order for this day to go exactly according to plan, you must not interfere in anything that occurs. Do you understand me perfectly?"

Onyx hesitated before nodding slowly. "If that is what I must do, then so be it."

Blue Diamond leaned back into her throne, once again shrouding her face in shadow. "Good. You may leave."

Onyx saluted and left. Among many other things, the question of the passage of time and how to predict it was not an easy one to think about. Perhaps his CPU was simply not capable of such complex thought.

Oh well. He once again molded himself into the crowd. He wound through, staying towards the opening leading to the palanquin. He may not be permitted to engage in the conflict, but he would still be at the ready if anything were to go wrong.

The Sapphire and her Ruby guards had their backs to him. They didn't notice him, apparently. He heard a conversation between Sapphire and Ruby 3 as he walked past.

"What a beautiful place to build a colony," the Sapphire said in that cool, collected monotone that her kind constantly spoke in. It seemed more wistful, like how Pink Diamond spoke whenever she talked of the Human Zoo. "I only wish I had gotten to see more of this planet."

"Um…there's still time," Ruby 3 responded.

He heard Sapphire give a small chuckle. "That is a nice thought but…no."

There was no further conversation after that. Onyx moved on, getting farther away from the palanquin with every step.

"Blue Diamond! Leave this planet!"

Onyx snapped his head towards that voice. He couldn't see her anywhere, but he knew who she was.

"This colony will not be completed!" He pinpointed the voice and looked up to the large central pillar in the Arena.

"Who are you?" called out one of the Rubies. "Show yourselves!"

And then he saw them. Rising from behind the pillar was the leader of the rebellion, this time dressed in a long flowing white dress with a star-shaped hole on her abdomen to display her Gemstone. Perched atop the pillar and carrying two swords was her Pearl, the one who had miraculously bested him in combat in their first encounter. She too was dressed differently from Onyx's last encounter with the two of them; this outfit was better suited for combat and allowed for more freedom of movement. A yellow star was emblazoned on her chest.

They called to the crowd in unison.

"We are the Crystal Gems!"

He looked around in confusion. Only two of them had arrived to attack Blue Diamond, one of the four leaders of Homeworld? What were they playing at? No matter, he would destroy them anyway –

Wait…no, he couldn't do that. Here they were, the chance for a rematch and he was forbidden from taking any action.

Well, so long as things go according to plan, perhaps he could work out a deal with Pink Diamond to have a chance to fight the two of them again. He needed to collect more data on this peculiar duo: the Rose Quartz that betrayed her kind and the Pearl that could fight. Two Gems that spat in the face of Homeworld's perfect order…yet continued to succeed despite this.

He realized that he had been so lost in thought that he hadn't even noticed the battle go underway. He went with the flow of the crowd around him, following the nobles to the edge of the arena away from the action. He saw Blue Diamond's palanquin sprout legs from underneath it and crawl away to observe the proceedings from higher ground. By higher ground, he of course meant at the very highest seat in the Arena.

He watched as Blue Diamond's Amethyst soldiers charged into battle, reaching to their Gems for their weapons. They never got the chance. The Pearl ran past them both without a second thought, her swords cleaving right through them. They stood there dumbfounded for a moment before they poofed out of existence.

Two more Gems charged Pearl. She immediately turned around, uttering a war cry that reminded Onyx of some kind of exotic bird. The three of them leapt into the air and met head-on. Once again, one slice of the sword each was all it took to reduce the soldiers to their stones.

He looked around and spotted Rose Quartz watching her Pearl. She had a look of utter fascination, like how he observed Pink Diamond watch her humans.

Both he and Rose were snapped out of their thoughts by three war cries. Those three Rubies were dashing into the fray. Rose smiled in apparent amusement as she watched the diminutive soldiers running up to her.

Then the Rubies did what they specialized in. Two of them stopped right next to each other while the other jumped onto their soldiers. Then they turned into pure red light and fused.

When the light dispelled there stood a single Ruby taller than even the enemy that stood before them. Onyx realized with surprise that this Fusion was taller than Pink Diamond herself.

This was fusion then…fascinating. He knew it was too much to hope they would be stronger than his Diamond, but he hoped it would be enough to fend off the rebels.

The Fusion cried out in a deep booming voice that still somehow sounded as non-threatening as a single Ruby. She ran forward with her fist on a collision course with Rose's face.

Then Rose grinned.

It happened in an instant. One moment Rose was standing in front of the Ruby fusion, the next she was behind the massive form and leaping away. The fusion fell apart and the three Rubies fell. Before they had even hit the ground, there was Pearl slicing through them immediately. Two of them disappeared in a puff of smoke as the third landed flat on her face. The Pearl stood in front of Sapphire, swords at the ready.

Apparently fusion wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Onyx reminded himself to take a closer look at his memory of the battle when he returned to the Moon Base.

"NOOOOOO!"

Then, much like every other perfect plan that had ever planned in the history of perfect plans, it all fell apart because of one minor slip-up.

The last remaining Ruby did her job too well.

She dove under the Pearl's legs and tackled Sapphire to the ground, the sword passing inches away from her cubic hair. Then both she and the Sapphire began to glow, then turned into blue and red light.

The light mingled, the two Gems' stones drawing closer and closer together as the light formed a tall humanoid figure. All action seemed to freeze as everyone stared at this strange new development. Then the light faded and revealed the new form behind it.

She was tall, only just shorter than the triple Ruby fusion from earlier. The curliness of Sapphire's hair had apparently canceled out the angular and cubic afro of the Ruby to create a huge tangled mass of red and blue curls. Her skin was various shades of blue and pink, though overall, she was a dark magenta. Her clothes consisted of pieces of Sapphire's and Ruby's clothing stitched together at odd intervals. It was…an odd sight to see.

The new Gem opened her eyes – all three of them. Even more fascinating. A fusion between Gems of differing types produced a completely different Gem. He didn't have any data on such a phenomenon. He needed to study this.

The Fusion seemed to realize what had happened to her. She stared at her hands, each containing a Gem of her component. She voiced the word that just about everyone in the arena was thinking:

"What?"

He realized that everyone was forgetting the true dilemma here. He looked to the self-proclaimed "Crystal Gems." Pearl was giving the fusion a look of perplexment. She shook her head and raised her sword again. Then she stopped as Rose Quartz placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait," she said. "This is…"

Then they looked around. Members of the crowd, Onyx included, were advancing on the rebels.

"Let's go," Rose said.

Pearl nodded, grasping her leader's hand.

"Well…bye!" With that last comment from Pearl, the two of them leapt away, so far that they had become mere dots silhouetted against the sky. Then they disappeared below the clouds.

Onyx walked to the edge of the Cloud Arena, then stopped. He realized that no one was following him. He turned to see that everyone was instead marching towards the center of the Arena where the Fusion was still located.

Onyx was confused, yet he too rushed through the crowd. Certainly, he too was fascinated with this never before seen phenomenon, but wasn't the rebellion the more immediate issue here?

As he pushed through the crowd, he heard the crowd exclaim various words and phrases along the lines of:

"Horrible!"

"Disgusting!

"This is unheard of!"

So, they weren't fascinated with this cross-Gem Fusion as Onyx was. No, they were appalled by it for some reason unknown to him. What was going on here?

The Fusion had disappeared by the time Onyx could get in a position to see the center of the crowd. Sapphire and the Ruby were in her place. The Ruby looked around with a mingled look of confusion and fear while the Sapphire continued staring at her hands with her mouth open.

There was a loud crash as Blue Diamond's palanquin leapt down all the way from the top of the arena to the ground below. Everyone made way for their ruler as her vehicle retracted its legs and floated slowly along the ground towards the offenders.

"The rebels have fled." Blue Diamond's voice projected from the palanquin, cutting through the crowd and silencing them.

"Sapphire," she called, "this is not the scenario you described."

Sapphire looked up at the massive silhouette within the palanquin. "This is…n-not what I saw!" she cried in her defense. Sweat was falling down her face. "I-I don't know what happened, I –"

"No!" Ruby literally leapt to her charge's defense as she landed in between her and the palanquin. "It was me!"

"Clearly," Blue Diamond said, her voice oozing with disapproval. "How dare you fuse with a member of my court."

"Forgive me, I –"

"You will be broken for this!" Blue Diamond's hand curled into a fist, and all at once Onyx felt…something. It was the most unspeakable rage he had ever felt in his life. All he could think about was attacking the offender, crushing her and grinding her stone to dust, then scattering the dust to the wind, then incinerating it with a massive blast of energy from his weapon –

This was very uncharacteristic of him. Why was he getting so angry? Then he remembered: Blue Diamond was an empath. She could literally broadcast her emotions to any Gem around her and even make them feel the way she did. Usually this happened unintentionally. Members of Blue Diamond's court occasionally reported tears coming from their eyes in times where Blue Diamond felt sadness. Right now, the crowd was likely experiencing something similar, but with anger.

The others weren't as resistant to this sudden change in emotion as he was. The crowd became a mob, advancing on the poor Ruby. Their steps echoed through the arena like an army marching into battle. He looked around. No one was paying attention to him as they pushed him aside to get at the infidel. They all seemed to be focused on the destruction of "the enemy."

As luck would have it, he made eye contact with the one other person in the mob that was resisting these emotions that weren't hers: it was Lapis Lazuli. She stared at him in confusion. There seemed to be a lot of that today. He gave her a look that said _what are we supposed to do?_

Then his attention was diverted. He saw a blue and red blur rush past Blue Diamond's palanquin to the edge of the arena. Another unexpected event had transpired: the Sapphire had grabbed her last remaining guard and dashed off. He could hear the Ruby crying out in protest, though it was getting more and more difficult to hear her as the two of them grew further and further away. He saw the mob begin to give chase before they stopped themselves. Sapphires, in addition to their tremendous foresight, were capable of short bursts of blinding speed. It was a deliberate design Blue Diamond had implemented when creating them; supposedly it allowed them to escape battle with their enemies if their guards were incapacitated. Sapphires couldn't run forever, but they could run long enough to get reinforcements.

Or to dive into the clouds to escape their pursuers.

Onyx felt the wave of anger begin to fade as the cries of the Ruby faded with it.

"Onyx!" Blue Diamond's voice echoed through the arena and drew his attention to her. The palanquin had floated up to him and from here he could feel the overwhelming power of the Diamond even from her veiled form. The crowd stepped away and created a new clearing where he was standing. He felt every eye in the Arena trained on him.

"Yes, my Diamond?" he asked.

"I want you to chase those two down and bring the Ruby to justice."

Onyx, for the second time that day, was perplexed at Blue Diamond's commands.

"You want me to chase after them?" he asked.

"Yes, that is what I said," Blue replied. "My soldiers and your Diamond's remaining Rubies have yet to regain their physical forms. You are the only one suitable enough to chase down those two and bring them back so we can give the criminal a proper punishment. Do I make myself clear?"

He couldn't help but notice the blatant favoritism by Blue Diamond in that she made no mention of punishing her Sapphire. After all, they both had participated in this Fusion, had they not?

He had other reasons for not wanting to chase them down, though. Mainly that he had better to do.

"My Diamond, while I will agree to chase down those two, I feel that perhaps our priorities are not in order. Would it not make more sense to chase after the rebels before their trail runs cold?"

He felt it again. The wave of unbridled rage. The mob advanced one step towards him.

"If you do not chase after those two within the next thirty seconds, there will be _dire_ consequences." She leaned forward, and Onyx saw two glowing blue dots where Blue Diamond's eyes should be. At the same time, he felt an inexplicable feeling of sheer cold engulf his entire being.

He then realized that this time, the empathy was not intentional.

" _Do I make myself clear?_ " she asked.

Onyx looked from Blue to the mob around him. In that split-second hesitation, the mob advanced another step. The cold was getting worse. He could feel his joints begin to seize up.

"Very well, my Diamond," he said.

Blue Diamond's eyes stopped glowing and she leaned back in her chair. The cold began to subside. The crowd parted, giving him a way forward to the Arena's entrance.

"Good," she said. "A transport will be prepared for your descent to the surface."

"No need," Onyx said. "I will get down on my own."

He walked past the palanquin to the edge where both the "Crystal Gems" and the "criminal" had escaped. He looked down and noticed that there was frost on his hands, though it was fast melting. He hadn't thought it was getting _that_ cold. The clouds were a few hundred feet below the arena.

"What exactly are you doing?" he heard Blue Diamond say.

He looked back. The crowd was still staring at him. He picked out Lapis Lazuli at the front, giving him a look of curiosity and great interest. Everyone else seemed to be gazing upon him with great disapproval. He turned back to look at the clouds.

"This way is faster," he said.

Then he jumped down.


	5. The Question (Part 2: Lack of Interest)

**A/N: I must sincerely apologize for the late update. I had gone to visit my family over the weekend and the train heading back to my school's town on Sunday was running late. So late, in fact, that I got back to Kalamazoo at almost midnight instead of 8:30 like my ticket originally said. I was so tired and frustrated when I came back that I could barely think. So, rather than give you all an unfinished mess of a chapter, I decided to wait and do the best I could. So, without further adieu, here is Part 2 of The Question.**

* * *

A question burned in Onyx's mind.

It had been there since he had leapt off the arena and had continued to fester in his CPU even as he fell through the cloud barrier to the surface below.

What was so offensive about cross-Gem Fusions?

Apparently even the rebellion, who wished to be called "the Crystal Gems" now, paled in comparison to the sheer _wrongness_ of cross-Gem Fusions in the eyes of Homeworld, or Blue Diamond at least. He hadn't really heard Pink Diamond discuss fusion that often, so he wasn't exactly sure of the rules and regulations regarding it. He failed to see why the simple act of two non-similar Gems fusing together was so much worse than a large group of Gems trying to uproot an _entire empire_.

That day, he had realized something important: Blue Diamond had an awful sense of priorities and was overly obsessed with purity. The Diamonds _were_ , in fact, imperfect beings.

It would not be the last time he would acknowledge that fact.

* * *

As he fell, Onyx remembered what upgrades had been given to him in the weeks following the initial rebel attack on the Human Zoo expedition.

While he had been repaired of the damage done to him by that Pearl (he was still not sure how that was possible), he had requested that his skeleton be reinforced with stronger material. His Diamond approved once he reminded her that it would allow him to more easily best the rebels.

He remembered what the Peridot administrator had told him of his upgrades.

" _Thanks to our upgrades we have given you," she had said, adjusting her visor as she typed on her screen, "you are now doubly durable compared to a few weeks ago. The Titanium Frame can now take much more damage before it is in need of immediate repairs. We have also augmented the frame with slow-acting self-repair materials. In essence, they will begin to repair most damage done to your frame should it be severely damaged. Of course, it can't repair everything; damage to your cranial region, which contains your CPU, could only be repaired by Gem hands given that your CPU is such a complex device._

" _I also decided to make a few new adjustments as well." She grinned excitedly, a look that usually worried Onyx whenever she was talking about working with his Frame. "You see, I realized that you lack a certain mobility factor. You are quite sluggish, likely due to the weight of your frame. Gems can, of course, adjust to any gravitational field, but your body's unique circumstances mean that you will always be a little heavier than the average Gem. Thus, I came up with a solution: a foot-based propulsion system that could give you sufficient lift to get your body off the ground and into high-velocity movement through the air."_

 _She put her screen away and looked him in the eye. "In layman's terms, we've put rockets in your feet that can let you fly really fast."_

It had taken well over a month to figure out how to use his newfound "rocket boots" as the Peridot administrator had begun to call them. Even now, he wasn't entirely comfortable with using them.

Hopefully, he was comfortable enough for this.

As he neared the ground at terminal velocity, he activated the rockets and straightened himself as best he could in the air. His feet flailed all about as he attempted to get the boots to work. Thankfully, his descent seemed to be slowing considerably. He finally got his feet into a V shape, which seemed to be the most efficient way to slow his speed. Of course, he then lost balance and began flying across the ground before being stopped by a tree.

As he picked himself up with some difficulty, he groaned. He still needed to work on the landing.

He looked up. He could vaguely see the shadow of the Cloud Arena from where he was now. He had thankfully fallen directly down…aside from the moment where he crashed into the forest.

He looked around. Based on his memory of the Sapphire's and Ruby's escape, they had fallen…towards those hills. He began marching forward.

It had been raining before he jumped down, but the rain was gradually subsiding as he walked.

He played back the memory of the Ruby Fusion's fight with Rose Quartz. He was still curious how exactly the Fusion had been bested by a single attack.

He went frame by frame. Just before Rose ran behind the giant Ruby, he saw it: three pinpoint strikes. First to the Ruby's shoulder, then one on the back of her left hand, then another in the palm of her right hand. Right where the Fusion's Gemstones were located.

He knew that striking a Gem's stone was very painful and caused a severe sense of vertigo even if the stone itself was left undamaged. Perhaps the disorientation had been enough to destabilize the Fusion and break her apart into her components? It seemed the most likely possibility.

He stopped at the crest of one hill. He looked down to see pillars of ice protruding from the ground. He inspected them. The pillars were melting down already, but based on how big they still were, he could tell they had been placed there recently. He saw a single trail of footprints made in the muddy ground leading into the forest on the other side of the hill.

He began walking along the trail. The rain stopped, but the clouds had not yet parted. What little light filtered through them was fading. In the next hour, night would fall. At that point it would only get harder to track his quarry.

He was thankful that the rain had made the ground soft. He looked behind him, seeing that he was now leaving his own trail in the mud. The indentations left by his metal boots seemed so huge compared to the Ruby's own tracks.

He eventually happened upon a cave. He had to bend over so that he wouldn't hit his head on the ceiling as he walked in. The hard rock ground provided some much-needed stability compared to the mud outside.

It was dark in the cave. With a thought, he activated the spotlight function in his Gemstone. The beam of purple light was enough to allow him to examine his surroundings.

The tracks hadn't stopped on the rock. He saw several foot-shaped scorch marks all over the cave. The smoldering remains of a campfire were left in the back of the cave.

Yes, the Ruby had definitely been there. That was the only thing he knew for sure. Too many questions were still left unanswered. Had the Sapphire accompanied the Ruby all this way? Were they together even now? If so, why? What had happened to those two when they had fused to have them be so attached to each other?

Most importantly, why were they considered criminals for fusing?

As he looked around the cave for more clues, he reviewed what he knew about fusion. He already knew the physical component of fusion, but the social aspects of it eluded him. He knew it was mainly used by soldiers in battle and rarely ever outside of that context. He knew it was a criminal offense for differing Gems to fuse. But what drove him insane was that there was no answer to the question of _why_ it wasn't allowed. If he knew more about how fusion worked, perhaps he would have a better idea. Unfortunately, the data on fusion within Homeworld's database was infuriatingly scarce.

For such a miraculous and powerful technique, Homeworld had a shocking lack of interest in it.

There was nothing he could glean from the cave that he didn't already know. The Ruby had been there, at least. No trace of the Sapphire could be seen.

He sighed. This would be a long and grueling search. He wondered if it were possible to get Pink Diamond to lay him off this case. He knew for certain she would want him to track down the rebels more than anything else. He also remembered her telling him to follow Blue Diamond's orders.

He decided to search the surrounding area for any sign of them. They couldn't have gone far.

* * *

He stepped onto the hills again. By this time, night had fallen and the clouds had cleared.

He looked up at the night sky. So many stars were visible now. He wondered how many of those stars had planets converted into Gem colonies. From here, they all looked the same: just glimmering white dots on a landscape of darkness.

He kneeled down and inspected the grass, still a little wet from the rain. He had followed two sets of footprints up here. This confirmed his suspicion that the two criminals were travelling together. Why that was so, he had no idea. The Ruby could still be holding on to her obligation to protect the Sapphire, but the Sapphire had no such obligation to her guard.

Another question that demanded his attention almost as much as the one about fusion: why were these two so intent on travelling together?

A rather bright glimmer caught his attention in his peripheral vision. He looked up to see it: a meteor streaking across the sky, or a "shooting star" as some might call it.

He recalled an old Gem superstition: making wishes on shooting stars would guarantee they would come true. He had never made any wishes before. He recalled how Pink Diamond told him of a few wishes she had made on falling stars. Of course, she hadn't _specifically_ told him what they were; she had explained it by saying "Telling people your wishes is bad luck!" Of course, he could probably suspect what she had wished for. It was blatantly obvious. She had wished for her own colony two hundred years ago. She had wished for the Human Zoo project to be approved just recently.

Both of those wishes had come true.

He thought for a moment. Then he made his decision.

 _I wish I can find the answers to all the questions I have,_ he thought.

He looked back down. The trail continued back into the forest. He had no clue where those two had gone or what they were doing, but he would find them.

* * *

As for what he would do when he found them…he would figure that out on the way.

He came upon a river coursing through the forest the next day. Those two hadn't stopped moving since that first night. They seemed to be intent on exploring this _entire_ forest.

Perhaps he would find them faster if he was actually as intent on finding those two as he should have been. He just "wasn't into it," as he heard some Amethysts occasionally say. Amethysts always said the strangest things.

He looked around. There was wildlife everywhere, mainly small creatures. He could hear chirping noises from the branches above him. He watched a large-winged insect flutter from one tree to the other. He crouched down and watched what looked like an amphibian of some kind hop around the shore on the other side of the river, croaking all the way. Then he saw something else.

A large four-legged mammal with large antlers protruding from its head was bending its neck down by the water to drink. It was some distance down the river on his side of the shore. He stood up slowly, unsure how this creature might react to the presence of other life. Admittedly, his knowledge of life on this planet other than humans was very limited. He had no idea whether this thing was a predator or not. He knew this thing likely lacked the power to harm him in any meaningful way, but it always paid to be careful.

He stood up and stepped forward, intending to approach the mammal and inspect it from up close.

The sound of his metal feet scraping the pebbles on the shore felt louder than normal in the relative silence of the forest. He continued stepping forward, believing that the slower he moved the less noise he would make. The plan had little success.

The creature looked up at him and he froze under its gaze. He stared into its eyes, unable to deduce its thoughts as well as a Gem. After all, it had very different facial features from anything he had ever seen.

Much time passed.

…

Finally, the creature turned away. It leapt into the forest and out of sight.

Onyx's shoulders sagged. He hadn't realized how much tension had been building up within him.

He looked around him again. There wasn't any trace of the Ruby or the Sapphire here. Perhaps he would find them further down the river.

He continued searching all that day and well into the night. The only trace of the Gems' presence was those same two sets of footprints. He was growing tired of this chase. He decided to pick up the pace. Days may have passed quicker for Gems than other organisms, but she would notice how long he was gone eventually.

Then she would likely ask him to track down the real target: the rebels that infuriated her so. He hoped that she didn't have any tantrums or blow anything up before he returned.

* * *

As fate would have it, he would find both the real target and the two he had been tracking for a few days now. But it wouldn't be until the third day of his search.

He was back in the forest again. The tracks had led him to a small clearing surrounded by rose bushes. There was mostly flat ground here, but there were a few points where the ground suddenly gave way to steep inclines. Someone who didn't watch their step could take a painful fall here.

He crouched down to check the footprints. He was surprised the two of them had made it so easy for him to track them down. Perhaps they were confident that no one would follow them all this way? Whatever the reason, he wouldn't be complaining any time soon. It simply meant he could return home quicker.

The tracks seemed to do something strange, twisting and turning about at odd intervals. Then a new set of tracks appeared originating from the first two sets. These were more erratic, like their owner was stumbling about off balance everywhere they went. They were also mismatched: a left bare foot and a right boot.

Obviously this third set of tracks belonged to the Fusion he had seen on the Cloud Arena. Did she have a name? No matter. He recalled how to initiate fusion, some Gems danced about with their partner in order to initiate the act. This must be why the footprints were turning and twisting everywhere.

He followed the Fusion's tracks. To his surprise, they seemed fresher than the others. He felt like he was finally getting somewhere.

And then he almost fell.

He stopped himself before he dropped. He had been so absorbed in getting the job done that he had almost ignored the steep drop.

He inspected the drop. He could see a trail of broken branches and scattered flower petals leading all the way down the incline, indicating someone had fallen down it.

He stepped on the incline and carefully slid down. He had somehow managed to stay on his feet the entire way down, which of course meant he fell flat on his face when he reached the bottom.

He picked himself up, brushing the dirt off his uniform. He was on the edge of the other side of the forest. The Cloud Arena was a long distance away now. There was a path leading right outside, and mid-morning light filtered through the leaves.

There were also two new sets of footprints.

Two large bare feet accompanied by two smaller feet. Rose Quartz and her Pearl.

All three sets were travelling together out of the forest.

He could think of two possibilities of what had occurred here. One: Rose had discovered the Fusion, identified her as a Homeworld Gem, and captured her. Second: the Fusion had willingly joined the rebels and was now working with them.

He considered the second possibility to be the most likely one. If that one was the case, he would be happy. He could accomplish both of his goals at once: capture the criminals and track down the Crystal Gems.

He followed the three sets of tracks out of the forest.

In contrast to the hilly area on the other side of the forest, the land he was in now was very flat and covered in long grass. A trail of long grass was left behind by the criminals Onyx was hunting. He tried to get an idea of where he was and where the three Gems were going. Was there a Warp Pad around here? If there was, it wasn't registered. Had the Crystal Gems created their own network of Warp Pads? It would make sense. Obviously, they couldn't use the Homeworld network, they'd be tracked too easily.

He remembered the events directly after the attack on the Human Zoo expedition. He had attempted to follow the rebels through the Warp Pad. It hadn't even activated for him. Apparently, the rebels had constructed the device to only be accessible by those who were part of their cause. He ended up having to hitch a ride all the way back to the Kindergarten just so he could get back to the Galaxy Warp.

If the Crystal Gems and the Fusion were headed to one of these adjusted Warp Pads, he would lose them.

He began running, following the trail of trampled grass as fast as he could. This sudden realization had galvanized him into action. Pink Diamond already had a hair-trigger temper. Knowing that he had failed her when he had been so close to victory would only make her worse.

So he ran faster, almost tripping when the trail took a sudden 90 degree turn. He threw caution and stealth to the wind. He had to find the Crystal Gems _now_.

* * *

And then he did.

He came upon a shallow valley. Walking up the next hill on the other side of the valley were the three he had been pursuing for days now: Rose Quartz, her renegade Pearl, and the unnamed Fusion. The long grass surrounded the valley but didn't dip down into the valley itself. This allowed Onyx a clear view of his three targets.

He held his arm, now surrounded by his cannon. His weapon began charging energy as his targeting systems locked on to Rose Quartz. One blast directly to her midsection. The laser would pass through her back and strike her Gemstone, causing enough damage to dispel her physical form and crack her stone for good measure. They all had their backs to him, they wouldn't notice in time.

He finished charging. In that same instance, one of them turned around: the Fusion. She locked eyes with him when he fired. He heard the Fusion shout "Get down!" as she tackled Rose to the ground. The laser passed harmlessly over their heads, striking the hill and causing a cloud of dirt to erupt from the ground.

He marched down into the valley, his arm cannon still pointing at the three rebels. Had the Fusion heard him coming? No, that couldn't have been it. His footsteps had been muffled by the dirt and grass, his normally loud clanging boots had made almost no noise as he had walked. Then he remembered: the Sapphire's future vision. How had he not considered it? It wasn't unreasonable to think that the Fusion possessed this power. Interesting. A Cross-Gem Fusion had access to the abilities of both its components. This required further study.

"All three of you are coming with me," he said. "The rebellion ends today."

Rose stood up, helping the Fusion with her. Her Pearl was standing on guard, her spear already in her hands.

"No one is going anywhere with you!" Pearl shouted.

Rose looked at him curiously. "I know you. You're Onyx."

"I suppose I should feel honored that you remember me," he replied. "If you come willingly, I may be able to convince my Diamond not to shatter you on sight."

Rose's shield appeared on her arm as she pointed at him. "We don't want Pink Diamond's mercy, we want her to leave this planet alone!"

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that," he said. "I will give you one last chance to –"

He ducked as Rose's shield went flying past him. It embedded itself halfway into the dirt. He grinned at her. "You have learned. But you can't win by using my own tricks against me."

Rose already had another shield in hand. "I know." She turned to the Fusion. "You get a safe distance away, we'll take you to our base when we're done here." She didn't say anything else as she charged at Onyx.

Onyx had time to see the Fusion try to follow only for her to stumble forward. Then he focused on the enemy. He dismissed his weapon and held his arms out. He pushed against Rose as she slammed her shield into him. He slid back a few meters before he began slowly marching forward, pushing Rose back. He heard that sound again, like the call of an exotic bird. He turned around and saw Pearl charging at him, her spear about to plunge into his side.

Then it stopped short as it hit his metal body. She looked at him in shock and he glared at her in turn. He took one hand away from Rose's shield and took hold of the spear. He pulled it out and threw it far away, not caring that Pearl was still holding onto it. This one moment of distraction was enough for Rose to gain the upper hand. By dismissing the shield and punching him in the face.

Onyx flew into the hill behind him, leaving an imprint of his body against the ground. He stood up, his weapon back on his arm. He shot at Rose, three uncharged shots. Her shield reappeared and blocked every one of them. Without warning, Onyx smashed his arm cannon against the shield, throwing Rose off balance. Then he threw a left hook followed quickly by a straight hit. He hit her side with the first hit and hit her Gemstone with the second.

Rose cried out, falling to her knees as she was hit with a dizzy spell. Onyx marched up to Rose, then was distracted once again by her Pearl. He saw her running up to him out of the corner of his eye. He held up his arm cannon to block the attack from her spear, grunting with surprise at the force from the blow. Then she pulled a sword out of her Gemstone and tried slicing him across the stomach. Once again, the blow was stopped by his metal endoskeleton. She glared at him in confusion.

"What _are_ you?" she asked.

In response he smiled and said: "I don't speak with criminals."

He hit her Gemstone with the palm of his right hand. She fell on her back, struggling to get up as her spear and sword disappeared. He turned back to Rose and saw she was gone. He looked around and saw her limping up to him. She was picking up speed, but he could tell she was still recovering. He raised his arm cannon again.

Then he felt the most powerful impact in his life.

He went flying high into the air, getting a split second to take in the sight below him. There was the Fusion, all but forgotten moments ago. She had her fist raised to the sky. _She_ had thrown him this far up? Did a fusion between only two Gems have this much strength if they were different types?

Either way, he was still rising into the air with no sign of coming back down any time soon.

…

…This could take a while.

* * *

Rose staggered up to the Fusion, looking at her in amazement. "You did that?"

The Fusion looked at her, just as shocked as she was. "I guess I did."

Rose looked up, watching Onyx fly upward. "Oh my stars, he's still going."

The Fusion tapped Rose on the shoulder. "You should take your Pearl and go."

Rose looked back at her. "She's not exactly _my_ Pearl, despite what she might say. What are you going to do?"

"I'll catch up with you in a minute." She smiled. "Also, it's Garnet."

"Huh?" Rose asked.

"My name," the Fusion said, "Is Garnet."

Rose smiled back at Garnet. "Good for you. Come on Pearl."

"Ooooohhhh…" Pearl gripped her head in pain as her friend helped her up. "Hey Rooose, ever noticed how biiiig your haaairrr iiissss?"

Rose sighed and picked her up, deciding her friend was in no condition to walk. She turned to Garnet. "Don't do anything irrational."

Garnet smiled. "This'll only take a moment. Now go."

As Rose ran away with Pearl in her arms ("Wheeeeee!" she cried out) Garnet raised her eyebrows.

"Well I'll be, he's coming back down."

Onyx sighed as he started falling back down. He could see Rose pick up her Pearl and run away. From this high up he could see that they were heading towards a Warp Pad on the other side. He needed to speed this up.

He activated the rockets in his feet again, increasing the speed with which he was falling. If he did this right, it would ensure the capture of all three of his targets. If not…well, if he could feel pain, it would hurt a lot.

Garnet squinted at the distant figure quickly getting closer. " _Is he…flying_? **Yeah, he is**. _Do you think we can hit him_? **Of course, punching stuff is what I was made to do!** _Right, of course Ruby._ "

Garnet raised her right fist, Ruby's gauntlet appearing on it. Then she formed a bigger gauntlet, one with a bright yellow star as well as blue and pink stripes. She grinned and formed a fist.

"Let's do this."

The enemy was getting closer. He was slowing down as he got closer. She could see his rockets and his arm cannon pointed at her. She pulled her arm back. Wait for it…wait for it…

Now!

* * *

It was dark out now. The Peridot was getting impatient. That machine had to be around here somewhere. They had been searching for hours.

"Uhhh, you sure he's around here?" Ruby 1 asked. Peridot sighed. These two Rubies had been assigned to help her in the search, never mind that she could do this simple retrieval mission all on her own. But no, Pink Diamond had to "help" when she didn't need to. She admired how well Yellow Diamond could deal with her on a daily basis.

"I am _perfectly_ sure that he is around here. The signal came from somewhere in this valley. Now focus on keeping watch!" Ruby 1 nodded and went back to observing the same grassy plain they had been circling for a long time now.

"Look! Over there!" Ruby 2 pointed to the left. In one of the valleys, a beam of purple light was shot into the sky before dissipating after a while. After a moment, it happened again.

"That's gotta be him!" Ruby 1 shouted. She bumped into Peridot as she ran to her comrade's side

"Watch it!" Peridot shouted. She grumbled. _The mission will be over soon, the mission will be over soon,_ she repeated in her head.

She turned the transport around, landing next to the valley. The Rubies ran out of the ship and down into the valley, eager to meet Onyx again. Peridot meandered after them, the Gemstone on her left eye lighting her way forward. She came upon a huge crater in the ground, vaguely human-shaped.

"Hello? Anyone down there?" she asked.

"In here," a voice called back. Peridot turned to the two Rubies.

"Help him out!" she said. They nodded and jumped into the crater. Moments later, they leapt back out with a body in hand. Peridot gasped when she saw what had become of the project she had worked on long ago.

His skin had peeled away in several places, particularly on his chest where his Gemstone was. Miraculously, there had been no damage to the Gemstone itself, but it seemed that the metal area around it had taken most of the force from whatever had hit him. The metal plating was dented and had even fallen off on his left side, revealing the complicated wiring underneath. The energy tubes protruding from his Gemstone were hanging loose on that side, sparking and flickering with uncertain light. His left arm and left leg were without the skin that usually covered him, though otherwise seemed no worse for wear.

He looked at the Peridot, his face completely neutral. "You are the administrator of the Titanium Project," he said. Something about the fact that he was in such a state of disrepair yet seemed to not care in the slightest about it unnerved Peridot.

"Y-yes," she said. "W-what happened to you? Pink Diamond has been trying to contact you for several days now."

Onyx groaned. "That Fusion must have broken my communications mainframe with that punch." He addressed the Rubies now. "Your friend from the escort mission the other day fused with the Sapphire again and disposed of me in one punch."

Peridot was incredulous. A Fusion of two different Gems had enough power to do _this?_ It was unnatural, inconceivable even!

Onyx glared back at the Peridot. "What are you waiting for? We need to get back to Homeworld and give my Diamond a full report."

Peridot was snapped out of her stupor. "R-right! You two carry him back to the transport!"

As she stomped off to prepare the ship for takeoff, she heard them conversing.

"Told you he was a robot!" one of them said.

"Alright, just this once you weren't crazy," the other replied.

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP AND HELP ME!" Onyx shouted, prompting the Peridot to jump and double her pace.


	6. The Question (Part 3: It's a Deal)

**A/N: The sincerest of apologies for the late update. This week is Spring Break where I am, and I'm trying to spend more time with my family. I've had a bit less time to work on this story, but I still love doing it. Expect the next chapter on Sunday, March 11.**

 **This chapter is a bit shorter than the others (I try to keep my chapters around 5000 words in length give or take a thousand or so) but there wasn't much else to say here. Plus, this was originally going to be merged with the next chapter and made one big chapter. Of course, I quickly realized that would result in a behemoth of a chapter that no one would want to sit through without a break in between. Let's face it, this is the internet, most people have rather small attention spans. I've noticed people on this website tend to be a bit better on that front, but I'm not pushing it. The last thing I want is to bore my dear readers. Looks like The Question arc will be split into four parts.**

* * *

Take nothing at face value. That is what Onyx learned from this experience.

Never assume that a Pearl is harmless simply because society says so. Don't believe that cross-Gem fusion is taboo while ignoring the stark benefits of it.

This lesson would benefit him in the long run, but for now it gave him nothing but doubts. The Diamonds set the rules of Homeworld. Their word was law. They were perfect. They were also wrong about many things, fusion and Pearls being the least of them. Blue was wrong in believing in the importance of purity over anything else; her most recent failure was proof of that, no matter how much he would inevitably take the blame. Yellow was wrong in assuming that giving up Earth was the best option at this point. Its largely untapped resources were proof of that.

But the Diamonds were never wrong. Even when they defied logic, they were never wrong because of one simple fact:

You either agreed with the Diamonds or you faced shattering.

* * *

REPAIRS COMPLETE. WIRING AND PLATING REPLACED. TITANIUM FRAME REBOOTING. INITIATING DIAGNOSTICS CHECK…

OPTIC RECEPTORS: ONLINE. AUDITORY RECEPTORS: ONLINE. MOVEMENT APPARATUS: ONLINE. WEAPONS MAINFRAME: ONLINE. COMMUNICATIONS MAINFRAME: ONLINE. FLIGHT BOOSTERS: ONLINE.

INITIATING WAKE UP SEQUENCE…

* * *

Onyx opened his eyes, having already projected his skin over his body. It seemed to be an unconscious thing now. He was back in that blank room where he had been built, his repairs now complete. The Peridot who had picked him up was standing next to his table.

"You're lucky," she said. "If it hadn't been for those self-repair materials, you might have been a goner. As you were, it thankfully only took a day to replace all the broken parts."

"But the self-repair materials didn't work fully," he said. "That final blow had made me unable to move. You must have some way to accelerate the process."

Peridot nodded. "We're working on a system that might speed up the process. We were thinking of connecting your Gemstone's energy supply directly to your self-repair systems to speed up the process. Unfortunately, your Gemstone was removed from the Earth prematurely in order to better work with the Titanium Frame. we would need to fill it with more 'life energy' for this system to work. This would not only have impossible to predict consequences on your body, but it would also require for your Gemstone to be buried for an extensive period of time."

Onyx nodded. "How long do you estimate that would take?"

Peridot pulled up her screen and began typing. "By my calculations…approximately one extra century's time in the ground would provide sufficient energy to power the system."

Onyx shook his head. "I will pass on that possibility, then. My Diamond needs my help to quash these 'Crystal Gems.'"

The Peridot looked at him in confusion. "The Crystal Gems?"

"Yes," he said. "That is what they call themselves now."

Peridot scoffed. "What kind of name is 'Crystal Gems?' How redundant."

"Indeed," Onyx said. The Peridot walked away now, and he heard the door to the lab sliding open as she left.

Onyx frowned. This moment of solitude might give him time to contemplate recent events and make better sense of them.

First: Blue Diamond's blunder. She had been the one to order him to chase the Ruby and Sapphire. He might have had a better chance of catching the rebels had he not been wasting time on the irrelevant "criminals." He still wasn't sure if they qualified as criminals. How could fusing with a Gem of a differing type make the resulting Fusion a higher priority than a group of dangerous rebels? Perhaps it had something to do with Blue's differing ideals from her fellow Diamonds.

He knew Pink Diamond would have prioritized the rebels, but that was because she was invested in the planet the infidels were trying to take from her. Then again, Blue was often just as invested in whatever Pink wanted as Pink herself. He noticed that Blue tended to spoil the younger Diamond. Not that he was complaining. He couldn't help but wonder though: if Yellow had been in Blue's position, would she have prioritized the rebels? He still wasn't sure. He recalled that Yellow's first instinct had been to let the rebels have the planet.

Second: Rose Quartz had attacked the diplomatic meeting herself with only her Pearl as backup. Rose had impeccable combat prowess, there was no denying that. Her Pearl was still an enigma, but he had to assume she was just as skilled as her owner based on his observations of her. Even so, that was insufficient to take on Blue Diamond herself as well as all those other Gem nobles in her entourage. Taking on such a group with only two Gems was a suicide mission.

Unless…she hadn't wanted to win. Perhaps they had some other plan that required more members of the rebellion. Had the other members of the "Crystal Gems" been otherwise occupied? Something didn't add up here. He would bring up the idea to his Diamond.

Third: The Sapphire's prediction had not gone according to plan. He had followed Blue Diamond's instructions of not doing anything. As far as he knew, everything else had gone according to plan. Yet that Ruby had saved Sapphire from her temporary doom and that one slip-up had resulted in everything going awry. How? A Sapphire's precognition was infallible. That was what he knew, anyway.

Yet he was quickly discovering that what he "knew" was inaccurate information. A Pearl being capable only of purely being "pretty" as his Diamond often put it? Rose Quartz's own Pearl disproved that idea when she took down four Agates and two Rubies each with a single blow. The notion that cross-Gem Fusions were inferior, that they deserved to be shunned? That had been grossly inaccurate based on his battle with this "Garnet" character. Either Homeworld was intentionally feeding him and the rest of its citizens misinformation or all of Homeworld was delusional. Both possibilities were utterly terrifying, yet neither one seemed impossible.

Fourth: The Fusion, or "Garnet" as she had called herself. Her power had been astronomical. She had rendered him structurally compromised with little effort _after_ she had launched him quite literally sky-high. Frankly, he was impressed. The thought of her joining the rebels was a harrowing one to say the least. That was exactly where she had gone. Where else would she go?

He wasn't as worried as he logically would be if the situation were different. He had struck a deal with her, one that he hoped she would honor. He had kept up his end of the bargain so far.

He replayed that moment of defeat.

* * *

If he could feel pain, Onyx had no doubt he would be experiencing the most unbearable pain in existence.

He picked himself up with some difficulty. He looked down to see the state of the Titanium Frame. His chest had caved in. The left side of his body was falling apart. A metal plate had been dislodged, exposing the wires within. The energy tubes that would normally snake around his body in the shape of a human ribcage were hanging loose, disconnected from his Gemstone. Thankfully, the Gemstone itself was miraculously undamaged. An error message appeared in his vision:

IRREGULARITIES IN THE TITANIUM FRAME'S SHAPE HAVE RENDERED SKIN PROJECTION IMPOSSIBLE IN SEVERAL AREAS.

His chest, left arm, and left leg were exposed. The various wires and tubes spread across his body were sparking, though otherwise were functioning normally. He flexed his hand and fingers experimentally, grunting when he felt the motion to be more difficult than normal.

He looked up. The Fusion had her arms crossed. She was looking at him with the most smug expression he had ever seen.

"Impressive," he said as he began limping forward. For some reason, his left leg was moving slower than normal as well.

Her smug expression faded when she got a closer look at him. Her eyes widened. "What is that?"

He then looked at his body, once again noticing that his arm and leg were exposed. "What does it look like?"

She stepped forward. Onyx noted that she was also limping for some reason. "You're…made of metal?"

"Indeed," he said. "I am a machine, my Diamond's greatest creation. This is her gift to me in exchange for my service. And you broke it."

"Guess I don't know my own strength," she said with a laugh. Then she cried out in pain and fell to her knees. Onyx limped toward her, but he too fell to the ground unexpectedly.

[STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY IS COMPROMISED. MOVEMENT IS SEVERELY HAMPERED. IMMEDIATE REPAIRS RECOMMENDED.]

That explained _his_ inability to move, but what about her? He turned his attention to the Fusion. Then he saw it: Her right side was glowing and wavering somewhat. He laughed.

"What's…so funny?" she demanded.

"It would seem we've reached a stalemate," he said. "That last blow has rendered me unable to move. At the same time, you are falling apart as well."

"What makes you say…that?" she asked, breathing hard.

"I would hazard a guess that your Sapphire half is inexperienced in the ways of fusion," he said. "Frankly, I am surprised she has kept it together this long." His grin widened. "But there is one big difference between you and me."

"And that is?" she asked.

Onyx held up his right arm, now covered in his arm cannon. "I can still attack you."

The Fusion's eyes widened in surprise. She tried to get up again but failed. Her arm temporarily phased into light before solidifying again. " **What…** what are you going to do when you've captured… **us?** "

Onyx paused before responding. "…If I had it my way, you would be studied to determine the differences between a cross-Gem Fusion and a 'pure' Fusion." He sighed and lowered his arm. "Unfortunately, Blue Diamond wants your Ruby half shattered. I don't know what she wants with the Sapphire, but I suppose you might. Apparently, the rest of Homeworld isn't as interested in fusion as I am."

The Fusion was looking at him curiously. "You…why would you be interested in fusion?"

He laughed. "I suppose…it may be that I admire fusion. Being incapable of it myself, it fascinates me. Fusion can allow two weaker Gems to gain power beyond what either of them could achieve alone."

"So…you want…power?" she asked.

"I collect knowledge, not power," he said. "I pride myself on knowing everything about Gemkind and Homeworld. Fusion is especially intriguing to me, perhaps _because_ I am incapable of it. Maybe deep down, I believe that knowing all there is to know about it will make up for that fact. I know that it is illogical, yet I believe it all the same. Quite annoying." He dismissed his weapon. "Do you have a name, Fusion?"

She stood up slowly but surely. "It's…Garnet."

"Very well, Garnet," he said. "I have no interest in capturing you. Partly because I think it would be a waste to shatter you without reason and partly because I want to spite Blue Diamond." He smiled at her shocked expression. "It is the little victories that amuse me the most. However, I can't very well return to Homeworld and tell Blue Diamond that I had simply _allowed_ you to escape." He paused as he thought of his next words very carefully. "But…but if you were to have bested me in combat, which is technically true, I would not be held accountable."

Garnet began limping forward again. "Why… **why would you…** do that?"

"Because I wish to strike a deal with you," he said. "I will allow you to go free and join the rebels. I will, of course, have to fight you should we encounter each other again. I must keep up appearances. But I will not capture or shatter you if it ever comes to that. In exchange, you will not reveal my secret to the Crystal Gems."

"Your secret? Oh." She looked upon his metal parts with realization. "Why…why not just capture… **us?** "

"As I said, I think it would be a waste to shatter you without studying you first. Which is exactly what I will do should we meet again. Study you, that is. I collect knowledge, Garnet. It is the only thing I have desired for myself separate from my Diamond's wishes. I want to know more about Fusion. You are the secret to that knowledge. Am I making sense?"

Garnet frowned. "I…I think so.

"Excellent," he said. "So, we have a deal?"

Garnet nodded slowly. "It…it's a…deal."

Then she cried out and fell over, splitting in half as she did. There lay Sapphire and the Ruby, the latter of which stood up immediately. She looked at Onyx briefly before picking Sapphire up. The blue Gem's hair had fallen away from her face, revealing her one big blue eye that was gazing at Onyx with pure exhaustion.

"Th…thank you," she said. The Ruby gave him a suspicious glance. He stared back at Ruby, his gaze unwavering.

"Make no mistake, either of you. It is not from any moral standing that I strike this deal. I am merely doing so in the pursuit of knowledge." He smiled. "With that being said, I thank you both for keeping my secret."

The Ruby nodded, her gaze not as suspicious as before. Then she shuffled her feet awkwardly.

"Um...I'd, uh shake your hand, but -"

"Go." Onyx said forcefully. Ruby nodded and ran past him with her lover in her arms. He listened to Ruby's footsteps quickly grow distant before fading away completely. He sighed. In a way, he was relieved. His tedious quest was over. He could finally get back to more important matters. Admittedly, he was quite angry at Garnet for meddling and preventing him from capturing the rebels, but he wasn't about to destroy such an important source of data.

Now…how would he get out of there?

He couldn't run, but perhaps…yes, that just might work.

He stood straight up and activated his rockets. After some time, he began flying straight up. He would fly back to the Cloud Arena. Obviously, there wouldn't be anyone left there after several days, but he would still find a Warp Pad.

He was high above the trees when his rockets gave out.

FLIGHT APPARATUS SEVERELY DAMAGED. IMMEDIATE REPAIR RECOMMENDED.

He sighed as he plummeted to Earth again. Would there ever be a time when these rocket boots _didn't_ result in a crash landing?

* * *

"ONYX!"

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of Pink Diamond's calls. Had she walked into the room? He hadn't even noticed. He admonished himself for that. He should know exactly where his Diamond was at all times.

"Apologies, my Diamond," he said, standing up to face her. "I had been lost in thought again."

"Ugh!" Pink said, crossing her arms in annoyance. "You're _always_ lost in thought! You've got to work on that!"

"It is on the long list of self-improvements you have assigned me, my Diamond," he assured her. Then he was cut off from speaking when Pink began crushing him in a hug.

"Do you have any idea how _worried_ I was about you?" she demanded. "I tried calling you so many times and you never _answered_ , oh it was just horrible!"

"I'm so sorry my Diamond," he said. "I was chasing the rebels and let them get away. Worse yet, they got the best of me in combat. I am utterly ashamed of myself for that."

The temperature in the room increased by a small margin. "Do you really think I care about that? I mean, I care about it a _little_ but not compared to the fact that you _really worried me!_ I felt like I was going to crack from all that stress!"

"A-aren't you upset?" he asked.

She pulled away from him, keeping him facing her with her hands on his shoulders. He did his best to ignore the steam coming from under her feet. "Of course I'm upset! But I'm not going to let that cloud my judgement of my favorite creation! Except…" Then for the briefest of moments, she lost her composure and he saw the utter fury that only Pink Diamond could have.

Then she slapped him across the face. He felt his skin burn away under the blow.

"There, much better!" she said cheerily, regaining her composure.

Onyx reached up to his face, feeling the metal that was showing through the new hand-shaped hole in his skin. In a flash of purple light, it repaired itself.

"Now come on, you need to tell me everything!" she said. "Now that you're all better, it's time for the debriefing."

He nodded. This was not going to end well, that much he knew.

Pink Diamond rubbed her temples in annoyance. "So let me get this straight," she said. "Blue Diamond forced you to go after this Fusion even as the 'Crystal Gems' were getting away?"

"Correct," Onyx said, standing on the other side of the control panel. They had returned to the Moon Base on Earth.

"And then you tracked down the Ruby and Sapphire after three days to discover they had joined up with the rebels at some point."

"Correct," he said.

"And then this 'Garnet' thing beat you so hard you couldn't even fight back?"

"…Correct." Thankfully, she didn't notice his hesitation.

"I can't believe this," she said.

"You must understand, my Diamond, I was forced to follow Blue Diamond's orders."

"I get that, it's just that…urgh! They make me so _mad!"_ Pink stood up and began pacing around Onyx. A slight hissing sound replaced her footsteps as steam erupted from her soles. "They treat me like a newly emerged! Yellow doesn't let me do anything, Blue keeps coddling me and White…well, you know how White is."

In fact, Onyx didn't "know how White is," but he didn't want to interrupt.

"Grrr…it's not _fair!_ " she said, stomping her foot. "I'm a Diamond just like them, I should have every right and privilege they have!"

"Of course, my Diamond," Onyx said.

Pink continued pacing, apparently engrossed in contemplating her lot in life. Onyx stood there awkwardly. Then he remembered what he had thought of earlier.

"My Diamond, there is more to the story," he said.

"Yeah, uh-huh," she said. She was scowling deeper now.

"My Diamond!" Onyx said more forcefully.

She stopped pacing and turned to look at him, her face contorted in rage. "What?!"

Onyx recoiled a bit. He needed her to calm down and think clearly. The last thing he needed was for her to have another meltdown and give Earth's Moon a brand new crater.

"My deepest apologies," he said, "but you weren't paying attention and I have something to say that you must know."

Pink's face returned to neutral. In fact, she even seemed a little worried.

"I'm so sorry, Onyx!" she said. "I was getting too angry again, wasn't I?"

"Indeed, but it was certainly no fault of your own," he said. Previous experience taught him that excessive flattery was effective in calming down his superior. "You had much to be angry about. I was simply wishing to share a suspicion I have about the rebels' reaction to the trap."

Pink nodded, motioning for him to continue.

"I believe that their attack on the Cloud Arena was a diversion," Onyx said. "Rose Quartz herself was the only one in the assault along with her Pearl. I believe her other forces were otherwise occupied at the time."

Pink sighed. "Right, I knew there was something I was forgetting. During the Cloud Arena…fiasco, the Vault was raided."

"What?!" Onyx cried in surprise. The Vault was located deep in the Prime Kindergarten. It contained some of the most valuable artifacts and some of the most powerful tools Pink Diamond had at her disposal. "We have maximum security on that place!"

"Yeah, we _did_ ," she said, "before I re…rea…reassigned, that's it. I reassigned some of the guards to the Cloud Arena for the trap, so it wasn't"

Now it was Onyx's turn to begin pacing. "What was stolen?"

"It's hard to say," she replied. "We're still taking inventory, but we have confirmed that the Desert Glass is missing."

Of course. One of the most dangerous devices on Earth and it had to have fallen into the possession of the rebels. Just excellent.

"This isn't your fault, my Diamond," Onyx said. "You only had the best interests of this colony when you reassigned those guards."

"But that's just it!" she cried. "I _am_ at fault here, the other Diamonds will make sure of that!"

"I'm sure they…wait." Onyx stopped pacing and tilted his head curiously. "You haven't told the other Diamonds yet?"

Pink had the grace to look guilty. "Nnnnnoooot yet?"

"Putting it off will only make things worse," Onyx said. "They are not going to be happy either way, but the punishment will be light if you are prudent and sensible. You must tell them now."

"I…I..." Then Pink smiled, though Onyx couldn't help but noticed she seemed a bit unhinged. "I don't need to tell them! I-I just need to get the Desert Glass back and they'll never have to know that it was ever gone!"

Onyx scowled. "It will be a difficult task. We still have no reliable way of tracking the rebels' movements. They aren't just going to announce their presence."

It was then that the door to the room slid open and the two Rubies charged in. Based on their Gemstone placements, Onyx identified them as the two Rubies from the Cloud Arena.

"My Diamond!" Ruby 1 cried out. "We found the rebels in the deserts of Sector 3!"

Onyx and Pink Diamond exchanged looks that were equal parts confused and amused. The Rubies looked between the two of them with their default expression: mildly lost.

"Ummm, did we miss something?" Ruby 2 asked.

After a brief hesitation, Onyx replied. "Yes," he said. "But it is no concern of yours. I will head out with you to fight the enemy."

"I'll go with you," Pink Diamond suddenly blurted out.

The Rubies snapped their gaze to their leader, their mouths hanging wide open. Onyx frowned and stepped towards Pink Diamond.

"That will not be necessary," he said.

"No, I _want_ to go with you," she said, her eyes full of conviction. "They're in the desert. Where else would they take the Desert Glass? I can use this opportunity to personally take responsibility for my mistakes…Jeez, I sounded exactly like Yellow just then."

"Yes, it seems you two really _are_ related. But I insist that you stay here," Onyx said.

Pink Diamond stood up and stalked over to Onyx. She stopped when they were inches away from each other. From here, she could take full advantage of their height difference. She glared down at him, imposing her full power of intimidation.

"I _am_ going down to Sector 3," she said. "I am your Diamond." She bent down, her eyes drawing level with Onyx's face. It could have been an illusion caused by the uncertain light of the stars, but her irises were almost glowing. "I _order_ you to escort me."

Onyx could feel the heat radiating from his Diamond. He felt that his hair might spontaneously catch fire at any moment.

"As you wish, my Diamond," replied Onyx, bowing deeply and saluting.

Pink straightened up and grinned. "Excellent!" she said cheerily. "Pearl, go tell the agates to get the Palanquin ready!"

Onyx flinched as he saw Pink Pearl nod and walk past him. Somehow, he still couldn't keep track of Pink Diamond's servant. She just seemed to naturally fade into the background like a small hill in a huge mountain range. Perhaps that was how Rose Quartz's own Pearl was able to fight so well; people constantly lowered their guard against such an opponent.

Onyx turned to the Rubies. "How did you find the rebels?"

The Rubies were still gaping at the two of them. Onyx sighed and physically shut their mouths.

" _How did you find the rebels,"_ he said more forcefully.

That seemed to snap the Rubies out of their stupor. They grinned.

"Oh, it's a funny story actually," Ruby 1 said. "You see, the Desert Glass is in Sector 3 and now it's been tearing apart the desert for about…"

"Three hours," Ruby 2 said.

"Yeah, and we were on patrol when we saw the pyramids and castles building and rebuilding themselves over and over."

"But then one of the sand pillars smashed into our transport and veered us off course."

"And after that the sand just kind of kept throwing us around."

"Sometimes it launched us from catapults, sometimes it caught us in a tornado."

"But then the sand tornado threw us across the continent and we landed somewhere in Sector 11."

"You know, the big peninsula on the continent in the northwest hemi...hemee... _hemisphere?_ "

"Then we ran to the nearest Warp Pad and came right here!"

The Rubies finished their story with huge grins on their faces. They seemed quite proud of themselves, though Onyx wasn't sure why. He nodded slowly, processing the information.

"I…see." Onyx stepped past them. "You'd best get ready to move out. And...get your transport back from wherever you left it."

The Rubies seemed crestfallen that they hadn't received any compliments on their hard work. But they nodded and marched out.

Onyx turned to Pink Diamond, who was glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

"If you are to join us on Earth," he said sternly, "I advise that you remain separate from the action until it is absolutely necessary."

Pink sighed in frustration. "Onyx, I told you I _need_ to get that Desert Glass back myself!"

"While I appreciate your offer of aid, I assure you it will not be necessary," he said. "I am more than capable of a retrieval mission as simple as this."

"I just…I just want to be there just to be sure," she said.

It was then that Onyx saw doubt flash across her eyes as she looked away. He felt a twinge of pain in his Gemstone when he saw this, though he wasn't quite sure why. He raised his hand, hesitated, then placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Please, my Diamond." He was surprised at how emotional he was getting, but continued regardless. "Just don't do anything reckless. It would put my mind at ease."

Pink looked him in the eye, her face he very picture of concern. Then she sighed and smiled.

"You know, I _am_ a Diamond. I can take care of myself."

Onyx returned the smile. "Of course you can. But I still worry for you, as is my job to do."

Pink nodded. "I'll try not to overdo it, okay?"

"Thank you, my Diamond," he said, bowing and saluting.


	7. The Question (Part 4: Let's go Home)

**A/N: First off, I'd like to respond to a few reviews. Don't worry, I won't be all "prepz stup flamming!" on you.**

 **BIGGYCHEESE: In regards to Onyx's power level, he will definitely get stronger as the series progresses. How he does this will differ on occasion.**

 **Guest reviewer Shade: You're more on the money than you think.**

 **Dressyone22: I hope you are satisfied with how these fights are portrayed this chapter. If not, be sure to tell me how I can improve.**

 **And with that, I'd like to thank you all for the attention this story is getting. Who knows, maybe I'll get put on TvTropes or something!**

 **Hahaha...probably not. At any rate, there is a single minor curse word in this chapter. And...you're gonna love who says it. I think. I can't tell what you're thinking.**

* * *

It is worth noting that a Diamond is more powerful than any Gem.

They are unbreakable. They are strong. They possess powers beyond any other. The true extent of their strength is known only to them.

That being said, Pink Diamond was still young relative to her "sisters" as she called them. Therefore, she didn't have full and exact control over her own power. She had been known to break doors into pieces when she opened them in a state of anger. When she did get angry, which happened quite often lately thanks to the stress of war, she would turn a bright red like hot coals. It wasn't advisable for anyone other than a Ruby to get close to her in this state.

It is worth mentioning these facts because Onyx had already acknowledged the moral and mental limits of the Diamonds that they seemed bent on hiding from the rest of the universe. He would now be forced to acknowledge his own Diamond's physical limits as well.

* * *

The desert was indeed tearing itself apart.

Sand was erupting into unfocused messes, as if tiny explosions were being set off under the dunes. Occasionally, an ornate pillar would rise from the ground only to dissolve into a cloud of hot dust. The Desert Glass was likely calibrating itself, adjusting to the composition of the sand on this planet; this particular artifact had never been used on Earth before and required time to acclimate to this unfamiliar place.

If Onyx looked hard enough, he could see humanoid shapes running around. It was too far to make out any details, but he could tell they were all heading to one place: a gigantic structure on the horizon.

It was a pyramid made entirely out of sand. At first Onyx thought that it was very close by, but he quickly realized that was merely an illusion. The pyramid was simply so huge that it merely appeared close. All the while, monoliths great and small appeared around it, then disappeared just as quickly.

"They're here alright!" Pink Diamond shouted excitedly from next to him. They were in her personal transport, a gigantic version of the standard Dropship, the Command Ship. They were flying high above the sands moving at high speeds, two Dropships shaded the same color following close behind.

"Indeed," Onyx said. They were getting closer and he could begin to make out details of the Gems on the ground. Peridots, Rubies, and Quartzes of all kinds were making a beeline for the pyramid in the distance.

"The Desert Glass has gotta be there, yeah?" Ruby 1 asked from Pink Diamond's left. She pointed to the gigantic structure.

"Course it is, dummy!" Ruby 2 replied, punching Ruby 1 on the arm. "Where else would it be?"

Onyx did his best to ignore the ramblings of the Rubies. The pyramid was getting much closer now, and he could see the rebels shaking their fists at them from below.

Then he noticed a small collection of figures who were not jeering at the Homeworld ships. They were unmistakable: Rose Quartz, and her Pearl. Accompanying them was what appeared to be a Bismuth, a Ruby, and a Sapphire. There was only one possibility as to who those last two were. If that was the case, he had work to do.

"My Diamond, I humbly request that I be dropped off here along with a dropship of troops," he said.

Pink turned to him curiously. "Seriously? But we're almost at the pyramid!"

"I will delay the rebels here while you continue. You will need as much time as possible to search through the pyramid. It will likely have become a veritable maze to protect the Desert Glass within."

Pink tapped her chin, considering his idea. Then she grinned.

"Don't let me down, alright?" she asked.

"I will do my best," he said, walking out of the bridge and heading to the hangar bay.

* * *

Rose watched the huge Command Ship speed across the sky towards them. She would have laughed at her troops booing and jeering the Homeworld transports. The situation was getting too serious for such levity.

"One of the Dropships is going to land." Rose turned to her newest friend, the Sapphire who had joined their ranks only yesterday. She had her hands clasped as if in prayer, her face turned to the ship.

"You're sure?" Rose responded.

"Yes." Like all her kind, Sapphire preferred keeping things brief. "Onyx will be with them."

Rose hummed thoughtfully. Ruby suddenly took hold of Sapphire's hands and began whispering something to her, though Rose didn't notice. She had encountered this strange Gem twice now, and each time neither of them had really come out on top. Everyone involved in battle with this Onyx ended up completely drained and unable to continue, even Onyx himself. Even so, he was still a threat.

"Rose, there's something I noticed about him." Rose turned to Pearl, smiling.

"What is that?"

"He…when I attacked him, my sword and spear…" she seemed to be having difficulty putting together what she was trying to say. "They didn't cut him apart all the way."

"How do you mean?" Rose asked.

"When I tried slicing through him, my sword would cut through his outer skin and then it would just _stop_ , like something had hit it." Now Pearl turned to gaze at the Dropships. They were almost directly above them now. "I think there's more to him."

"I agree," Rose said. "He's certainly persistent, we have to give him that." She noticed one of the two small Dropships disconnect from the formation and begin approaching them for a landing.

"No worries!" Bismuth said, flexing her arm as it transformed into a hammer as big as her head. "I don't care who or how many we have to take on, we'll get that Desert Glass back!"

Rose smiled at her friend's confidence. "Go ahead and alert the advance force to prepare for battle."

"You got it, Rose!" With that, Bismuth leapt high into the air, landing far away in the crowd of soldiers.

Then something caught Rose's eye, and she turned to the Command Ship. A bright white light was falling – no _flying_ off the ship, speeding right for them alongside the Dropship.

"That's him, then?" she asked.

"Yes," Sapphire replied. She turned to Ruby and simply said "Let's go" before grabbing her lover by the arm and rushing off without warning. The blue and red blur could be seen advancing towards a point far ahead of the group.

"He's coming in rather fast, isn't he?" Pearl asked, squinting to see the figure.

Rose frowned. "Yes, he is." Then she gasped. "He's not slowing down."

"He's getting closer to the ground!" Pearl shouted.

Then the light disappeared and the silhouette of a Gem fell to the ground far ahead of where the Dropship had landed. A huge cloud of sand erupted from where it had landed.

"Oh dear," said Pearl. Rose didn't add anything. What else could be said?

* * *

Onyx was beginning to despise his rocket boots.

He groaned as he pulled himself up. The sand was still rising into the sky from his impact. He was now stuck in a huge crater of sand. If he tried walking up it, he would likely be pushed back down by gravity. The ground was too loose to gain much purchase. He had no idea how he would get out.

Thankfully, the Desert Glass solved that problem for him.

He suddenly felt himself being pushed high into the air. He looked down and saw it: a huge sand pillar was raising him into the air very quickly. He could feel his body being pressed into the pillar by how fast it was moving. When it stopped, he continued rising. Then he began falling to the Earth once again.

He landed, his hands and feet being buried in the sand by the impact. He looked up. The rebels were scattered around him, staring with mixed looks of confusion and amusement. He looked behind him. The Dropship had landed, and many Homeworld Gems were running up to him. The rebels apparently noticed them too, and charged to meet them with war cries and weapons. The Homeworld Gems also charged, just as enthusiastic in battle.

"Nice landing, small fry."

Onyx turned and saw who had spoken: a Bismuth, broad shouldered with hammers for hands and a wide grin. Amazingly, she was still dressed in her blacksmith's apron even for a battle like this.

Onyx stood up, brushing the sand off his hands and shaking it off his feet. Then he slapped his hand to his chest and formed his arm cannon.

"Wait." Two new figures had appeared between them. Very short and very familiar: a Sapphire and a Ruby. A dust cloud trailed behind them, indicating the speed with which they had travelled. Sapphire had one hand on Ruby's shoulder and the other raised to stop Bismuth from attacking. The reason she was holding Ruby's shoulder was obvious: the red Gem was teetering off balance and looked like she would fall over with a slight breeze.

"Bismuth," Sapphire said. "We will handle this one. You must continue with the advance force."

Bismuth looked between her new allies and her would-be opponent, apprehensive and perhaps a bit…suspicious? The strangest thing was her looks of suspicion weren't just directed at him; she was giving Sapphire and Ruby a very critical look as well.

Then she shrugged and smiled. "Just try not to get to beat up. We'll need you two to navigate the pyramid!"

With that she leapt high into the air, landing far away with a loud impact and boisterous laughter.

"So," Onyx said, holding his arm cannon straight upwards. "You have arrived."

"Y-yeah!" Ruby said, "we're here t-to kick your buuuuuaaaahhh!"

Ruby was not yet used to travelling at such high speeds. This combined with the loose sand providing little purchase meant she was unable to keep herself upright. In layman's terms, she had lost her balance and landed squarely on her butt.

"As she said, we're here to kick your butt," Sapphire said.

"Yeah!" Ruby shouted, scrambling up to a standing position.

Onyx looked between the two of them skeptically. "And what will you two do to me?"

Sapphire smirked. "It's not _us_ you should be afraid of."

"Afraid?" Onyx asked. He laughed. "You are worse at reading people than you are at reading the future. You two are the least intimidating people I have ever met."

Sapphire's smirk, faded and Onyx felt her cold gaze pierce right through him. Ruby took hold of Sapphire's arm, partly to restore her balance and partly to get her attention. Sapphire nodded and they began spinning. Ruby lifted Sapphire into the air and spun faster. They began to glow and merge. The light faded.

There she was: Garnet. She seemed more put together now. Her hair was a fixed cube, like Ruby's. Her clothes weren't torn up, but still seemed like a patchwork of other pink and blue clothes stitched together. All three of her eyes were glaring at him with annoyance.

"Ah, good," Onyx said. "The one I really wanted to see. I trust you have been keeping my secret?"

Garnet gritted her teeth. "As long as you don't bring us in."

"Excellent!" Onyx cried jovially. "I'd hate to lose such a lucrative source of knowledge. Now, shall we get this under –"

She punched him in the face.

He went flying, sliding through the sand for several feet before he stopped. He groaned and activated his voice recorder.

"Research Log, Entry 1," he said as he drew himself to his feet. "This begins the data collection on cross-Gem fusion. Subject of research is a Fusion between a Ruby and a Sapphire. She calls herself Garnet." He began walking back to where Garnet was. "So far, subject has displayed incredible strength beyond anything a normal Gem is capable of. I will now attempt to engage the subject in combat."

He raised his arm cannon and fired at the distant figure. She sidestepped each shot easily and began running up to him, her gauntlets appearing on her hands

"Subject appears to possess a Sapphire's Future Vision, but not her excessive speed," he said while still firing at Garnet. "She appears to make up for this by –"

He was cut off when she put him in a choke hold. One moment she had been running up to him, the next she was right in front of him. Then she threw him high and far. He sighed as he flew threw the air.

"Disregard previous statement," he shouted over the air rushing past him. "Subject still possesses the speed of a Sapphire. She also –"

He had to stop talking when his head was buried in the sand. With some difficulty, he raised his head above ground.

"Think you can keep going?" At the sound of Garnet's voice, he spun around and shot at her again.

She raised her hand, using her gauntlet to absorb the laser. "I'll take that as a yes."

She threw her fist forward and was met with a wall of light brown bricks. She looked around in confusion, seeing the wall stretched upward and to the side for several feet.

Onyx glanced at the wall once before he returned to talking. "She also appears to be well-adjusted to the loose terrain here. In contrast, my own movements are more sluggish than usual. Is it possible that the two minds merging into one have better coordination? This requires further study."

He stood up, feeling his joints creaking rather than hearing them. He would need to get deep-cleaned when this was all said and done. He was getting sand in areas it shouldn't have been able to get to.

The sand wall crumbled just as quickly as it appeared, leaving nothing but a shapeless pile in front of him. Garnet leapt above it and landed in front of him, throwing sand into his face. He yelled in shock, trying desperately to get the sand out of his eyes. It didn't hurt, but it did make it surprisingly hard to see. He felt himself get thrown back again, sliding through the sand on his back once again. He finally opened his eyes to see her marching up to him.

"Subject has managed to blind me and achieve several direct hits on me." He glanced behind him, noting how much bigger the pyramid seemed to be and that the other Dropship and Command Ship had landed already. "She also appears to subtly be directing me to the Desert Glass's fortress."

"Pay attention!" Garnet shouted. He snapped his attention back to her before leaping out of the way of another punch. He then jumped back further until a Dropship could have landed between them with space to spare.

"Subject favors close-quarter combat," he said. "I will attempt to keep my distance."

He fired another barrage of lasers, not letting up for a second. Garnet raised her hands to deflect the blows but kept getting pushed back. Then something unexpected happened.

She balled her hands into fists and fired them as rockets.

Onyx's eyes widened as he rushed to shoot them out of the sky. Every shot either missed or bounced off. He ran forward, ducking under the flying gauntlets as they flew over his head. They exploded behind him, throwing sand and himself high into the air. He once again landed face-first.

He stood up, spitting out a mouthful of sand. "Subject is proving to be a nuisance of the highest order."

"Thank you," Garnet said from right behind him.

He had just enough time to turn around before she grabbed him by both shoulders. He grinned.

"Impressive," he said. "When did you learn to do that?"

She gave a smile that contained no joy. "Just now. But this I've been working on for a while."

She twisted her hands and an arc of electricity coursed through his body. He screamed as his systems were overloaded with energy. Then he felt himself being thrown back by the sheer power Garnet was filling him with. He landed in a heap, his body shaking all over.

"S-s-s-s-ubject hhhhhhaaaasss ac-c-c-cquired –" He coughed up sparks. He opened his mouth again, yet no sound escaped other than a constant buzzing.

ERROR! ENERGY OVERLOAD! VENT EXCESS ENERGY 1MMED1ATELY! 3RRRRRR0RRRRRRR 3N34GY 0V#$1730K )#?

He suddenly became aware of Garnet standing over him. It was difficult to tell through the shaking ground (or perhaps it was his own shaking, it was difficult to tell), but he thought he could see a smug smile on her face.

"Sorry, kind of forgot about the whole machine thing," she said.

Onyx gritted his teeth, concentrating as hard as he could. Slowly but surely, his body stopped shaking and sparking. His Gemstone began glowing for a moment, then faded back to black.

Garnet leaned over, looking his unmoving body up and down. "Uh, you alright there?"

EXCESS ELECTRICAL ENERGY SUCCESSFULLY ABSORBED. POWER AT 150% CAPACITY.

Onyx grinned. Garnet gasped as he raised his arm cannon, the barrel shining like the sun.

"Never better," he said.

* * *

Pink Diamond smiled as she punched out another rebel. _This_ was the release she needed. All the pent-up stress and rage from the past years of rebellion was spent as she attacked. She laughed at their puny attacks. She caught an Amethyst's oncoming punch and threw her into another row of rebels…actually, some of her own may have been included in that line. Oh well. It was their fault for not paying attention to their surroundings.

All fighting immediately ceased. She looked between everyone's faces in confusion, seeing they were all staring at a point in the sky. She followed their gaze.

The reason for the lack of fighting was clearly visible. A huge beam of purple light ascended to the heavens at a slight angle. It was coming from very far away. In fact, Pink thought, it was very close to where she had dropped off Onyx.

She took advantage of the distraction to plow through another line of rebels. This attack snapped everyone out of their stupor as they resumed fighting.

"Pink Diamond!"

Pink grinned and turned around. There was Rose Quartz, the source of all her ire. She had her Pearl with her, along with a Bismuth standing on her other side. Pink Diamond grimaced. Had she no shame?

"Let us take back the Desert Glass!" Rose demanded.

"You're the ones who stole it, dummy!" she shouted. "It's mine, you hear?"

Rose sighed. Pearl summoned her spear with a solemn face while Bismuth grinned, smashing her hammer hands together with a loud clang

Rose pointed her sword at Pink Diamond.

"Then you brought this on yourself."

* * *

Onyx stood up, looking around in confusion. The light had long since faded. He could not see Garnet anywhere. He looked at his feet, searching the ground for Ruby and Sapphire's Gemstones, but found nothing.

Then he looked up and raised his eyebrows. A huge hole had been carved in the dunes in front of him, about ten feet in diameter. Smoking glass bordered the hole, keeping the sand from filling it back in. He could see the pyramid in front of him now. It was only a small flight away.

Then he noticed something else: the desert was getting hotter. He looked to the sky. The sun was getting close to the horizon now. He was confused.

Then he realized what it could have been. He ran through the glass hole, then took to the skies, flying faster than he had ever flown before. His Diamond needed him.

* * *

Rose grimaced. The heat was starting to get intolerable. The very ground seemed to shake as Pink's fist collided with Rose's shield yet again.

The fighting around them had stopped as Rose's rebels cheered her on from one side and Pink Diamond's soldiers jeered and insulted her from the other.

Pink Diamond nearly fell over from a blow to the head. She turned around and threw another punch at the culprit. Bismuth caught the fist with one hand and threw her hammer fist with the other. Pink was hit square in the face and staggered back. Bismuth laughed, but her celebration quickly died. The Diamond glared at her, irises changed to a blood-red and filled with rage.

Bismuth reacted from sheer instinct and morphed her hands into scythes. Her arms stretched out, attempting to cleave right through her. Pink caught the blacksmith's hands, grinning like a predator. Pearl's battle cry echoed as she charged. Pink's grin faded and let go of Bismuth's hands. Even so, there was no way she could react quickly enough.

Then Onyx crashed in.

He took hold of Pearl, the both of them flying toward the pyramid. She glared at him.

"Let go of me!" she demanded.

"Very well." He let go of Pearl. He could hear her cries of pain as she rolled through the sand and eventually fell behind him.

Then he crashed right into the pyramid.

The battle paused as all eyes turned to the newcomer. When the dust settled, he could be seen embedded upside down a few feet into the pyramid.

He tried getting out, but could only manage to wiggle his fingers. He sighed.

"A little help?" he called to his allies.

A skinny Homeworld Jasper approached him, but her help would not be required. At that moment, a giant fist made of sand punched Onyx out of the pyramid, causing him to land flat on his back next to Pink Diamond.

Pink Diamond looked at him in annoyance. "Get up, already!"

Onyx groaned for the umpteenth time that day as he pushed himself to his feet. He saluted the sandy pyramid. "Thank you."

The sand fist gave him a rude gesture before reforming and repairing the pyramid.

He turned to his Diamond. She was glaring at him with blood-red eyes.

"What took you so long?" she demanded, her voice strained from anger.

"I was preoccupied," he said, very much used to his Diamond's rage. "Are you alright?"

"I'm doing just fine, no thanks to you!" Another person would have been taken aback at Pink Diamond's fury, but Onyx knew she wasn't herself at the moment. He needed to get her out of here before she caused unnecessary collateral damage.

"My Diamond, I propose we cut our losses and regroup at Homeworld," he said. He instantly regretted his decision as Pink Diamond's eyes began glowing like hot coals.

"You're insane!" she shouted. "I'm not going anywhere until I get my Desert Glass back!"

"You're not gonna have it!" shouted Bismuth. The two of them turned to see her charging them, her arms formed into swords. "It belongs to the Crystal Gems now!"

"Bismuth, stop!" Rose called.

Onyx felt a sudden heat wave emanate from Pink Diamond and looked at her. He then quickly began running away, but to no avail. A shockwave of invisible force knocked down everyone, including Onyx. He looked back to assess the scene. Bismuth was on her back, staring up in shock at Pink Diamond's fury.

His Diamond was perhaps the angriest he'd seen her. Her skin, clothes, and hair had turned from a pale pink to a fiery red. Her eyes had turned into glowing white fireballs. Her teeth were razor-sharp. Merely looking at her form made Onyx feel as if he were melting.

" _ **It's mine**_ _,"_ she said, her voice like a solar flare of sound. " _ **You can't have it!**_ _"_

She threw her hand forward and a beam of pure fire flew into Bismuth. At first, her high heat tolerance seemed to stop the beam short. Then the beam pierced right through her and continued out her other side. Rose Quartz had just enough time to throw up her shield to stop herself from getting incinerated.

The light faded as the beam disappeared. The heat never left. It was as if a volcano had suddenly appeared in the desert and begun to erupt with pure power.

Onyx turned around, addressing the Homeworld soldiers on the ground with him. "All of you, retreat to the Dropships! Get to safety! Prepare the Command Ship for liftoff!"

No one questioned him. They all began running to where he had directed them. He turned back to the fight.

Bismuth was staring in shock and pain at the huge smoking hole in her abdomen. Pink Diamond grinned sadistically.

Bismuth had only a second to gaze in fear as her foe began stalking towards her. Then she finally poofed out of existence, her Gemstone dropping to the ground.

Pink raised her foot, about to stomp down on the Gemstone and crush it instantly. Then it was encased in a pink bubble and flew into Rose Quartz's shield hand.

Pink raised her flaming eyes towards the rebel leader, conveying pure rage. Rose tapped the bubble and it disappeared in an instant.

" _ **You try to take everything from me!**_ _"_ she cried. " _ **My Desert Glass, my planet, and now my justice!**_ _ **Your cruelty knows no bounds!**_ _"_

"You are the cruel one, Pink Diamond!" Rose shouted. "Humans and Gems alike, you are cruel to all of us!"

" _ **Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"**_ Pink shouted, thrusting her fist into the ground. Just then, the desert exploded as pure fire erupted from the ground everywhere. A whirlwind of sand was conjured, presumably by the Desert Glass, and it mixed with the flaming meteors of sand that began falling everywhere. The rebels scattered in all directions, desperately trying to avoid the tephra. The sun was blotted out by a humongous cloud of ash and sand, casting their corner of the desert in darkness.

A full Pink Diamond meltdown had begun.

Onyx watched all of this in a mixture of awe and terror. He looked back at the battle. Rose Quartz had collapsed to the ground, bruised and burned all over. Her shield was gone, but she still had her sword raised in defiance against her ruler.

Pink Diamond herself seemed just as bad. Her hair was on fire…no, her hair _was_ fire. It had been replaced with white-hot flames. This seemed to be causing her great pain. She had collapsed to the ground, balancing on one knee. Her eyes were half-closed and she swayed awkwardly

He looked around, then made eye contact with the only other Gem on the battlefield now: Rose's Pearl. They both stared at each other for only a moment. Then they each ran to their masters.

He ran in front of Pink Diamond, his arms outstretched. Pearl ran in front of Rose, her spear pointed at the Homeworld Gems.

"P…Pearl," Rose rasped. "D-don't…"

"You won't lay another hand on Rose!" Pearl shouted.

Onyx tilted his head curiously. "You are in no position to demand any –"

Onyx's shoulder was thrown back as a fireball from Pearl's spear hit the left side of his chest, leaving it smoking.

"Leave," Pearl demanded. " _Now_."

"I far outclass you," he pointed out. "Both in status and strength."

Pearl's defiant expression didn't change. " _Do I look like I give a damn?"_

Onyx had to admit that she did not. Though he would not admit it out loud until much later in his life, she earned major respect from him that day.

They stood there for some time, simply staring each other down. It was impossible to tell what would have happened if they had stood there for much longer.

Thankfully, someone appeared before them in the blink of an eye, hands outstretched to stop them from moving.

"Garnet?" Onyx and Pearl asked in unison. They looked at each other in confusion for an instant before returning to look at the newcomer.

She looked at Onyx and grinned. He could see several scratches and bruises all over her, but not a trace of burns anywhere. "Nice shot," she said. "Now, both of you listen carefully."

She turned to Pearl. "None of us are in any condition to fight. We _both_ need to regroup and recover. Now, I suggest we all return home before either of us does something we will regret later."

Onyx locked eyes with Pearl one last time. He saw in her what he saw in himself: complete dedication to a person and a cause.

"Very well," Onyx said. "But this will not be our final encounter."

"I know," Garnet said. "Now leave."

She walked around Pearl and hoisted Rose's arm over her shoulder.

"You know…Garnet," Rose said. "You would make a good…leader someday."

"Thanks," Garnet said, smiling slightly. Pearl took her other arm before they all disappeared in a cloud of dust.

Onyx turned around, quickly assessing his Diamond's condition. She glared at him, her hair and eyes no longer on fire. Her eyes were still red, and her arms and legs were on fire.

"We are done here, my Diamond," he said.

" _ **No,**_ _"_ she insisted. _"_ _ **I…I can still…still –**_ _"_ Her entire body shook as she began fiercely coughing up smoke. Onyx held her shoulders, ignoring the searing heat to his palms.

"You are at risk of burning up your form," he said. "You _need_ to stop this."

" _ **I…won't! Not until the Desert Glass…is**_ **mine!** _"_

Onyx looked at the pyramid, watching it collapse in on itself as a piece of tephra smashed into its side. "That is the least of our problems."

" _ **SHUT UP! YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!**_ " Pink's entire body was suddenly covered in flames. Onyx's arms turned an ugly shade of pink, then red.

Then Onyx did something that almost killed him. He wrapped both arms around Pink Diamond and hugged her tightly. She gasped in shock and began struggling, pounding his back with her fists. Onyx noted with sadness how weak she was; she would have broken free instantly by now. Yet even as all of Onyx's skin was seared black and began crumbling away, he continued to hold on.

" _ **Let go of me!**_ _"_ she demanded. " _ **I can still –**_ _"_ She was cut short as she began coughing again.

"No you can't!" Onyx insisted. Pink gasped at his uncharacteristically harsh tone. "You are at your limit…no, you are beyond those limits! You are at danger of burning yourself out and causing permanent damage to yourself! You must calm down now!"

" _ **You can't...tell me…"**_

"No, I cannot technically give you orders," he admitted. "But I can tell what is best for you."

Pink Diamond continued struggling for a few seconds, blinded by rage. Then her struggles became weaker and her frustrated grunts turned to sobs. Her body's flames turned to dull embers before disappearing completely. Her skin and clothes turned from fiery red to a calm pink. She gave one final half-hearted strike to his back before stopping completely.

Onyx released her and looked at her. She was staring at the ground. Tears were streaming from her eyes, steaming as her skin still cooled down.

She sniffed. "I was real stupid, wasn't I?" It was phrased as a statement rather than a question

"It happens to the best of us, my Diamond," Onyx said.

Pink laughed. "Even me?"

"Yes," he said solemnly. "Even you."

"The others will be real mad at me, huh?" she asked.

"There will definitely be consequences," he admitted.

She looked up. Her irises were pink again and filled with a mixture of frustration and sadness. Yet, miraculously, she was smiling.

"Yeah, I _really_ messed up this time," she admitted. "A real meltdown."

Onyx smiled. "Yes, I guess you could say that."

She began laughing. "Look at us, we look terrible!"

Pink Diamond looked exhausted, more so than Onyx had ever seen her look. He looked down at himself. Where his skin hadn't burned off, it was seared black. He reached up to his face and felt the smoothness of his metal jaw instead of his face.

"You look fine to me," he said.

She laughed harder. "You are such a bad liar!"

"You seem to be the only one who thinks so," he said.

Pink stopped laughing as she realized something. "Umm, out of curiosity, exactly how long should your endoskeleton glow orange?"

It was then that he noticed the warning sign that had been flashing for the past few seconds.

SYSTEMS IN DANGER OF OVERHEATING. IMMEDIATE COOLDOWN RECOMMENDED.

He sighed. "Exactly zero seconds," he said. "That's not important right now."

"Here, let me help." Pink placed her hands on Onyx's chest. She closed her eyes and suddenly, his endoskeleton stopped glowing. All the heat had been sapped out of him.

"Thank you," he said, slipping his hand under her shoulder and helping her up. "Now let's go home."

She grinned stupidly at him. "I think you mean let's go Home _world_."

He laughed out loud. She was making jokes. She was definitely fine. Her brand of humor never failed to entertain him.

* * *

 **A/N: So...how about that. I mean, Pink Diamond just blew up a small portion of the desert, but you don't really care about that, do you? Your mind is just blown by Pearl's swearing!**

 **...Right? Again, I can't exactly read minds.**


	8. You Know What's Unreasonable?

**A/N: Hoo boy, this took a lot out of me. However, I feel very satisfied with what I produced. As for whether or not it's good...that's your opinion. My main concern is that I got Bismuth's character right. She's so difficult to write for because we have seen her onscreen for very little time, so most of what we know of her is mainly conjecture. I hope I made something good with what I had.**

 **Reply to Reviews:**

 **To Fanfiction Scrutinizer: The reason Pearl didn't tell Rose of Onyx's abilities...well, they _both_ fought him before. They _both_ saw firsthand what he could do. So they are _both_ aware that he's more durable than the average Gem. Plus, I'm trying to keep this mainly from Onyx's point of view. He wouldn't really know what Rose and Pearl are thinking at all times. **

**To Guest Reviewer Shade: That honestly sounds like an awesome idea. I hadn't planned on doing that (what I have planned for after the war will be covered later...you know... _after the war_ ), but I'll keep it in mind. **

**Anyway, on with the chapter.**

* * *

The other Diamonds took notice of Pink Diamond's most recent excursion. It was impossible not to notice when a crater three miles in diameter filled with glass and ash had been suddenly etched into the desert.

They barred Pink Diamond from any further combat excursions for five decades. She did not argue on this front. She could barely move without help.

In addition, she was forced to admit what had been stolen from the Vault. Several miscellaneous items were dismissed as "acceptable losses." Pink Diamond became visibly angry at these words from Yellow Diamond but could only half-heartedly cough up smoke. The Desert Glass was assumed to be destroyed in the heat of battle (though in the coming months, several Gems on patrol would claim to have seen a small pyramid sliding across the desert, which disappeared when they got too close).

What truly gained the Diamonds' ire was the fact that a Light Prism had been stolen. Capable of summoning an army of light, this device could easily make up for the rebels' inferior numbers if they were allowed to keep it and discover how it truly worked. Thankfully, only one Gem truly understood how it worked: its creator, a Gem commander named Hessonite. A member of Yellow Diamond's court.

When the Prism would appear again, Onyx would be forced to help in its retrieval. Until then, he would have to contend himself with more routine endeavors. More specifically, checking up on the Beta Kindergarten.

* * *

"These are the exit holes of the most powerful Gems from here?" Pink Diamond asked.

"Yes, my Diamond! And the soldiers that came from them are already on duty!" Fire Agate said. "You may have had some of them serve you in the raid on the Desert…Glaaassss…"

Pink Diamond was giving her Head of Resource Management a red-eyed glare that would make Yellow Diamond flinch.

"Yes," she said. "I fully remember _everyone_ who fought in that battle."

"E…everyone?" Fire Agate asked.

" _Everyone,_ " Pink Diamond said. "Diamonds have quite the memory, Agate."

"I-indeed," she replied.

Pink Diamond looked up at the sheer cliff wall in front of her. She may not be a certified Kindergartener, but even she could tell these exit holes were far from impressive. Some of them were only vaguely humanoid shaped. She knew for sure that one hole was supposed to be a Jasper, but was definitely way too short and thin. As for that one…was that supposed to be a Carnelian? No, that can't be, it was way too skinny for a…wait, had it come out sideways?

She sighed. "Well, we're at war, beggars can't be choosers. Pearl, the staff, please."

Pink Pearl reached into her Gemstone. Pink Diamond grinned when she saw Fire Agate flinch upon realizing that Pink Pearl had been standing there the whole time. Then she accepted her servant's staff. It was a simple staff, about equal to Pink Diamond in height. Using it as a walking stick, she walked up closer to the wall, inspecting the skinny Jasper hole again.

"Can I see this one?" she asked.

"Yes, of course, I'll be right back." With that, Fire Agate walked away, perhaps a bit quicker than a normal walking pace. Pink grinned.

"Don't know what she's so nervous about," Pink said coyly. She dragged her finger across the edge of the hole, inspecting the trail of dust on her finger.

"You know, if Onyx were here he would know what the heck this dusty stuff means." She turned to Pink Pearl. "Where is Onyx anyway? Shouldn't he be done with the other side of the Kindergarten by now?"

Pink Pearl just shrugged in response.

Pink Diamond sighed. "I hope he likes the friends I sent him. He can get so lonely sometimes."

* * *

"Why exactly is this area empty?" Onyx asked the Peridot with him. "It seems to be a gross misuse of space."

She checked her screen, scrolling through the information. "According to the lists, the Jasper in this wall has fifty or so years left until she wakes up."

"That's all? You could be at risk of…'undercooking' her, as you Kindergarteners say," Onyx said.

"Actually, she's been in the ground for three hundred years now," Peridot explained.

Onyx turned to the Peridot. "The Beta Kindergarten was only established at the beginning of the war?"

Peridot blinked in confusion. "The war has been going on for five hundred years, sir. This Kindergarten was only installed for three hundred years."

Onyx opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. Then he spoke again.

"By the stars, has it been that long already?" he asked. "It felt like just last month that I had…emerged."

"I know the feeling, sir," the Peridot said, nodding in understanding.

He inspected the bright orange area of the wall. "It seems time is escaping me more and more lately." He sighed. "At the beginning of the war, I thought I took life day by day. Yet it seems that the turmoil has become routine, and my life is now measured in decades. Perhaps eventually, my life will be measured in centuries, perhaps even millennia. In this manner, I feel that I am not making the most of my eternity in this universe."

He looked to the sky, peering into the cloudless sky and taking in the unrelenting heat. He felt that he enjoyed this Kindergarten more than the perpetual cold darkness of the Primary Kindergarten. Then he chastised himself for becoming sentimental about such trivial details. It didn't matter about how a Kindergarten felt, merely how many high-quality Gems it produced. In this manner, the Beta Kindergarten was inferior to its Prime counterpart. It was also grossly understaffed, meaning there weren't any other Gem workers nearby.

He turned to the Peridot. "Apologies, I was lost in thought."

"Soooo deeeeep…right Ruby?" asked a voice behind him.

"Definitely, Ruby…Any idea what he was saying?" asked another identical voice.

Onyx sighed and turned around. "What on Earth are you two doing here?"

Ruby 1 and Ruby 2 grinned widely when they saw Onyx's face, either ignoring or oblivious to his annoyance.

"Oh, Pink Diamond thought you'd get lonely and she sent us!" Ruby 1 explained.

"But then we kind of got lost cause this Kindergarten is HUUUUGE!" Ruby 2 continued, raising her arms to demonstrate.

"Of course, that would never happen –"

"If we had been in OUR Kindergarten."

"But _why_ did you come here to the Beta Kindergarten in the first place?" he asked.

"Well, Pink Diamond said we need to get a new Ruby to join our three-Gem squad!" Ruby 1 explained.

"But, I'm not so sure if we could ever find a replacement for the old Ruby, right Ruby?" Ruby 2 asked.

"I don't know, she was always so…quiet."

"Ooh, this reminds me of when _we_ emerged in _our_ Kindergarten!"

"Yeah, I remember the Prime Kindergarten well. We spent so much time there…"

"Ruby, we were only there for like three minutes before we were dispatched."

"Don't be silly, Ruby, I perfectly remember making friends with all the Amethysts and Peridots and –"

"Ruby, that never happened."

"Ruby, don't make me get angry!"

"Not if I get angry first, Ruby!"

"GRRRAAAAA –"

"YEEEAAAAAA –"

What followed was the two of them colliding and devolving into random punches and kicks. Eventually, they were obscured by a cloud of smoke, but the random obscenities and growling noises they made could still be heard.

Onyx chuckled to himself. "Ah, my Diamond. _This_ must be why you sent these two."

"Umm, should we stop them?" Peridot asked.

"No, this is entertaining," Onyx said. After a moment of watching the smoke cloud and listening to the obscenities the Rubies shouted ("I'll put you into the ground so you can join the clods of dirt like you! BECAUSE YOU'RE A CLOD!" "Well I'm gonna crush you into the pebble you are! BECAUSE YOU'RE A PEBBLE!"), Peridot grinned as well.

"Nyehehe," she laughed. "I must admit, this is mildly entertaining."

"Ahem!" shouted a new voice.

Onyx turned and saw a Bismuth standing there, hands on her hips.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked, gesturing to the wildly shifting smoke cloud.

"You little – how dare you use such tone with me! I'll have you know, I am certified Kindergartener, and I will not tolerate any disrespect from –"

"Fool." Onyx interrupted Peridot's tirade before things got out of hand. "See the star on her apron? That means she is a Crystal Gem. She doesn't hold the same standard for etiquette as you. And, judging by her Gem placement…" Onyx grinned again. "You are the same Bismuth from Sector 3, yes? The same Gem that was defeated in a single attack by my Diamond?"

Bismuth merely glared in response and crossed her arms. "I won't ask twice. _Where is Pink Diamond?"_

"I am not at liberty to answer that question," Onyx replied. "More importantly, is the one called 'Garnet' with you?"

Bismuth blinked in confusion. "No?"

"What a shame," Onyx said, frowning. "I was hoping I would get a true fight today."

Bismuth gritted her teeth. "I'll show you a real fight!" She raised her hand to her mouth and gave a sharp whistle. All at once there were great war cries as many Gems dropped down from the cliffs around the group. There were ten more Gems now, including two Amethysts, three Jaspers, and five Rubies. Bismuth grinned.

"Is that better?" Bismuth asked.

Onyx hummed to himself. "Perhaps..." he turned to the Peridot. "Go alert everyone else of the disturbance." He turned to the big ball of violence. "Ruby."

The less-than-epic battle continued. Bismuth tilted her head in confusion.

"Umm, we can attack you at any time," she pointed out.

"RUBY!" Onyx shouted.

The smoke cleared, revealing that the Rubies had frozen in place. Ruby 1 was pulling at her partner's hair, while Ruby 2 was biting down on 1's right ankle.

"Yeah?" Ruby 1 asked.

"Hmm mm hm?" Ruby 2 said.

Onyx tilted his head to the Crystal Gems on his right. Bismuth was covering her face with her hands; her muffled laughter was still heard. The other Crystal Gems were similarly laughing, though the five Crystal Rubies were simply confused.

The Homeworld Rubies suddenly glowed with bright red light, until there was a single Ruby on the ground. Somehow, she still had her own foot in her mouth and was still pulling her own hair. The Fusion stood up, just as tall as Onyx. Of course, that still meant she was shorter than everyone there except for the Peridot.

Upon realizing that Peridot was still standing there, Onyx turned to her and raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you still here?" he asked bluntly.

Peridot nodded and turned around. There was a loud crack, prompting the Peridot to turn back to the rebels. She gasped. Onyx was now in front of her, with a dark purple cord wrapped around his right arm. She realized that one of the Amethysts had attempted to capture her, but Onyx had diverted the whip attack to himself.

"Th-tha –" Peridot began.

"Go!" Onyx shouted. Peridot quickly ran away, her footsteps echoing off the walls.

"Don't let her get away!" Bismuth shouted. "We can't let them get reinforcements!"

The other Amethyst began running after the Peridot. Thinking quickly, Onyx threw his arm to the side, causing the Amethyst holding onto him to collide with her friend. They both fell to the ground in a heap.

"No one is leaving," Onyx said. "You are all going to be brought back to Homeworld. If Pink Diamond is merciful and if you are lucky, you will be placed on trial and given a light sentence."

Bismuth sighed. "You're not exactly convincing us."

Onyx shrugged. "I was merely being truthful."

"Look, just tell us where Pink Diamond is and we'll leave you alone!" Bismuth said, getting angrier.

"Ha! As if we'd ever tell you that Pink Diamond is –" The Ruby Fusion was cut off when Onyx punched her lightly in the Gemstone on her shoulder. "Ow!" she shouted, gripping her Gemstone tightly.

"Please, Ruby," Onyx said, "I implore you to stop talking."

"But why?" she asked, holding her left hand up as if she were making a pledge. "I swear that I would never just blurt out that Pink Diamond is owww!" Onyx had now punched her Gemstone on the back of her right hand.

"My point exactly," he said. He turned back to the Crystal Gems, who were watching the exchange with interest. He leaned against the wall. Truthfully, even with the Ruby Fusion's help, this would be a far more difficult fight than he could handle.

Then he realized something: the wall was shaking. Yes, he could feel small tremors in the wall behind him. He looked up at it. It seemed no different than before…apart from the fact that the wall now had a soft red glow to it.

This means…yes, it would be a long shot, but he would need to stall for a bit longer. He turned back to Bismuth.

"It seems the Crystal Gems have yet to teach you basic negotiation skills," he remarked. "You are supposed to negotiate from a position of strength, Bismuth."

Bismuth laughed out loud. "Are you serious? We _are_ in a position of strength. There's eleven of us and only two of you."

"Very true," Onyx said, stepping to the side. "But allow me to ask this: why on Earth did you not bring Garnet with you?"

Bismuth glared at him. "You are _really_ fixated on her, aren't you? Ever heard the phrase 'three's a crowd?'"

Onyx shook his head. "You are mistaken. I am not attracted to Garnet the same way her components are attracted to each other."

"You know about –" Bismuth began speaking.

"Have you _seen_ the way they act around each other when unfused?" he asked. "They can hardly keep their hands off one another. I have only ever seen your Ruby and Sapphire unfused for brief moments at a time, and even I can see it."

"I…you're absolutely right," Bismuth said.

"The point is that Garnet is the only singular Gem that could possibly compete with me," he said. "I consider her a…rival of sorts."

"I don't know," Bismuth said, smirking coyly. "I think I remember Pearl saying that she stabbed you through the chest one time."

Onyx looked to the sky thoughtfully. "Yes, she interests me as well."

"Hey, Bismuth?" One of the Crystal Rubies had approached Bismuth and tugged on her apron for attention.

"What is it?" she asked.

The Ruby pointed towards the cliff that Onyx was still leaning on. "I think that wall is on fire."

Bismuth looked to where her ally was pointing, and her eyes widened in shock. Onyx looked as well and saw that the Crystal Ruby was correct. The wall was glowing in the shape of a person flexing their muscles. It was a bright red-orange, quickly changing to white.

"Diamonds almighty!" the Homeworld Ruby Fusion shouted in surprise.

"It seems I miscalculated," Onyx said. "I thought we had about an hour left until she had emerged based on those vibrations I felt. No matter. I believe we now have at least ten minutes until –"

A section of the wall broke off, and a burly right arm was revealed. It began scrabbling at the air before gripping the wall next to it. A loud yet muffled growling sound could be heard.

"Perhaps all this wanton violence lately has left my calculation skills dull," Onyx admitted, sounding a bit defeated.

There was a great noise, like a scream mixed with a roar. At the same time, a great tremor was felt by all. The wall finally gave way, whether by the sound or the tremors, it was impossible to tell. The shape breaking free of the Earth's crust fell to the ground, breaking her fall with her hands.

The new Gem was a Jasper, and a very large one at that. Ever inch of her was pure muscle, with the exception of her massive and messy mane of white-orange hair. Miraculously, she was wearing a Gem soldier jumpsuit. She looked up, revealing her diamond-shaped Gemstone where her nose should have been. Her eyes were wild and confused, darting from one thing to the next. She looked at each of the Crystal Gems in front of her.

"Jasper," Onyx said.

Her gaze snapped to him and he almost recoiled at the sheer intensity in her eyes. Then he composed himself.

"You are Jasper," he explained.

"Yeah." She got to her knees and looked at her hands. She turned them over curiously. "Somehow…I know."

"Then you know what you were made to do," he said. He pointed to the Crystal Gems. "Help me destroy these Crystal Gems."

Jasper looked at the Crystal Gems. There were now seven of them, as the five Rubies had fused together into a being almost as tall as Yellow Diamond. She looked back to Onyx and uttered a single word.

"Why?"

Onyx opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated. Then he responded.

"They wronged your Diamond," he said. "Is that not enough reason for you?"

"My…Diamond?" she questioned.

Strangely, the idea of attacking the Homeworld Gems did not cross anyone's minds on the rebels' side. Somehow it seemed _wrong_ to interrupt whatever was going on here.

"Yes," Onyx said, his patience beginning to wear thin. "My Diamond. Your Diamond. _Pink_ Diamond. These people are trying to overthrow your just ruler. You. Must. _Destroy them._ "

"But…why?" Jasper asked. "I…I don't even know you! Or them! Or Pink Diamond!" Yet she couldn't deny the twinge of familiarity she felt, somewhere deep within her when she said that final name. It was a strange…pull. Instinctive, powerful, yet subtle all the same. Yet still she hesitated. "I…I…"

Onyx finally ran out of patience. "Fight them! Now!"

Jasper clenched her fists. "But –"

"FIGHT THEM OR DIE!"

Jasper growled again and punched the ground. A web of cracks spread from the impact. In a flash of light, a crash helmet appeared on her head. She leapt forward, tackling one of the Amethysts to the ground. She yelled at the top of her lungs as she smashed her helmet into the Amethyst's head. The Crystal Gem cried out in pain. The Gemstone in her hand glowed as she began summoning her weapon, but another blow from Jasper broke her concentration and the glow faded. The Amethyst's face was an unrecognizable mess now.

With one final blow, Jasper reduced the Amethyst to her Gemstone.

Everyone was staring at her, dumbfounded at the sheer power they had witnessed. Even Onyx had his mouth gaping wide open in a stupor. For a moment, the only sound heard was that of Jasper's heavy breathing.

Then the Crystal Gem's Mega Ruby Fusion fell to the ground as the Homeworld Ruby Fusion tackled her.

The Homeworld Ruby formed a huge gauntlet and began rapidly punching the Mega Ruby in the face. She paused for a moment to look at Onyx.

"Dude, I thought you wanted to fight them!" she shouted. She might have said more before the Crystal Ruby took her entire head in one hand. Then the hand was shot by a sudden purple laser. Homeworld Ruby instinctively took a breath before punching the Mega Ruby in the face again.

"I never anticipated myself saying this," Onyx said, "but…thank you for keeping my priorities straight Ruby."

"Less talky, more punchy!" was the response he got. Punctuated by another punch.

"Don't forget about me!" Jasper shouted, pinning the other Amethyst to the ground. She too began punching her enemy in the face.

Not one to be left out, Onyx rushed forward and landed a vicious uppercut to one of the Crystal Jaspers. She staggered backward, pulling a knuckle bracer out of the Gemstone on her shoulder. She launched a punch, then a round house kick. Onyx sidestepped and ducked. He pointed his arm cannon at the Jasper, launching a fully charged blast at point-blank. She was thrown back, landing on her back.

Then Onyx fell to the ground, an immense weight pushing him down. A Crystal Jasper had landed on him. Then as he pushed himself up, two more landed and pushed him down again.

With all his might, he pushed himself to his hands and knees. Then he pushed the dogpile up. It took almost a full minute, but he eventually stood up, his legs and arms quivering as he held all three Jaspers above his head.

"Ha! I knew it!" the Homeworld Ruby shouted. Onyx looked in her direction.

"You've been punching her this entire time?!" he demanded, his voice incredibly strained.

"Uh, yeah, I'm a Ruby. It's what we do!" She said this as if that should be obvious.

There was a pause as Onyx threw the pile off him. He released a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

" _Why didn't you just strike her Gemstones?!"_ he asked.

"Again, I'm a _Ruby_. That is not something we think about!" she retorted. Then the Crystal fusion threw off her opponent, creating a new hole in the Beta Kindergarten wall in the process. The Mega Ruby stood up and stomped towards the wall. One of her eyes refused to open.

Onyx sighed, turning around to see that the Jaspers had picked themselves up. Then one of them immediately recoiled as she was put in a chokehold.

"Watch your back!" Homeworld Jasper shouted, suplexing her enemy with a mighty _crash!_

"Come now, that jest wasn't nearly bad enough to be fun –" Onyx began

"LESS TALKY, MORE PUNCHY!" Jasper shouted.

Galvanized into action, he slammed his arm cannon into another Jasper's face and shot the other…also in the face. He realized that he was breathing hard. Why? What did air even do for him?

No, focus! What did he need to do now?

"Enough!"

Everyone stopped moving and turned to Bismuth's voice.

There she was, standing there…with Pink Diamond in a headlock.

"Well," Pink Diamond said, "this is awkward."

"My Diamond!" the Homeworld Ruby shouted, popping up from within the Mega Ruby's hair. "When did you get here?"

"There you are!" Mega Ruby shouted, clawing at her hair in a futile attempt to get the pest out.

"Pay attention!" shouted Bismuth. Her hand had formed into a scythe and was inches from Pink Diamond's neck. "Now, we technically need to bring her back alive, but don't think for a second that I won't shatter her given the chance!"

"I seem to recall someone saying, 'you're supposed to negotiate from a position of strength, Bismuth' earlier today," said Onyx. "Who was that again? Oh yes, that was me."

"You think I'm bluffing?" Bismuth asked. "I won't even hesitate! Now, you're going to let us all go, _with_ Pink Diamond, or you'll be taking her back to Homeworld in pieces!"

"Oh, I have no doubt you will _try_ , Bismuth," Onyx said. "I also have no doubt that it is impossible for you to destroy her physical form, much less shatter her completely. You certainly have the desire to do it, but not the strength."

Bismuth bared her teeth at him. "I'm a Bismuth. We build things. You don't think I can build a weapon strong enough to shatter even a Diamond? Besides, this one's a lot shorter than the average Diamond. She can barely walk! I'm willing to bet she's weak enough to at least crack."

"This one would like it very much if you stop referring to her as if she can't hear you!" shouted Pink Diamond.

"Shut up!" Bismuth said.

"Please, Bismuth don't be unreasonable," Onyx said, suddenly worried. "I'll give you anything if you just hand her over."

"Unreasonable?" Bismuth asked. " _Unreasonable?"_ She then acquired a look of rage that could rival even the Diamond in her hands. "You know what's unreasonable? Being forced to build things to further the oppression of your own race. You know what's _unreasonable?_ Doing everything to the best of your ability and never being good enough! _You know what's unreasonable?! WORKING DAY IN, DAY OUT, NONSTOP, WITH NO REST, NO RECOMPENSE, AND NO REWARD FOR A THOUSAND YEARS!"_ She pressed her scythe up to Pink Diamond's neck, who suddenly seemed to lack her bravado from earlier. "You wanna talk about unreasonable, boy? I've _lived_ it. So don't doubt for a _nanosecond_ that I won't shatter the only obstacle between me and my freedom to live how I want on this planet."

No matter how many times he played this scenario out in his head, he couldn't find any way out that didn't involve his Diamond getting hurt. He needed to think of something, but he couldn't muster a single logical thought in his mind! He needed to save her!

 _You know what's_ unreasonable? Bismuth's voice echoed in his head. _Doing everything to the best of your ability and never being good enough!_

Then, with all his might, he spoke.

"Ruby, get out of the other Ruby's hair."

Homeworld Ruby looked flabbergasted. "But, Pink Diamond –"

"GET DOWN BEFORE I COME UP THERE AND MAKE YOU!" he shouted.

Ruby nodded solemnly and hopped down. She waved sadly to the Mega Ruby, who was apparently oblivious to the tension and waved back. The two remaining Jaspers picked up their comrades' Gemstones and began walking up to Bismuth. Bismuth was walking backwards, Pink Diamond still in a headlock. Yet she couldn't help but laugh at the victory.

Onyx ignored the laughter, doing a head count. He couldn't help but feel that someone was missing. Then he noticed something and grinned.

"Ahem," Onyx said. "Behind you."

Bismuth laughed harder, earning her strange looks from her comrades. "You honestly think I would fall for the oldest trick in the -"

Then she tripped over Pink Pearl's outstretched leg.

"No," Onyx replied.

Pink Diamond fell to her hands and knees the moment Bismuth let go. Pink Pearl helped her Diamond up to her feet and began rushing towards Onyx. He grinned, took both the Crystal Jaspers in front of him by their huge hair and threw them on top of Bismuth.

Pink Diamond coughed up smoke. Despite having done not much of anything today, Pink Diamond still felt drained. "Th-thanks Pearl," she said. Her servant merely nodded and helped her along.

Then the Crystal Jaspers were thrown aside as Bismuth's rage-filled cry filled the air. Her hands formed together into a massive hammer as she rushed her enemy.

Then she was thrown to the ground with such force that it cracked beneath her. She poofed out of existence, her oddly-shaped Gemstone clattering to the ground.

Jasper had her crash helmet pointed straight down, obviously having just head-smashed Bismuth. Then she raised her head and stared at Onyx.

"She should really watch her back," Jasper said.

Onyx chuckled, then laughed, then fell to his knees with incredible laughter. He felt he had gone insane, but he didn't care.

"You…ha! You know what, Jasper?" he said between fits of laughter. "That joke is starting to grow on me."

Jasper cracked a grin. Then she raised her foot. It was only as she started to bring it down on Bismuth that Onyx shouted "Stop!"

Jasper's foot froze, having just made contact with Bismuth's Gemstone. "What?"

He stood up and stepped forward, picking up Bismuth's Gemstone and waving Jasper's foot away. He tossed the Gemstone to the dumbfounded Crystal Jaspers, one of which caught it.

"We'll send them back alive, so they can tell their fellow rebels that the next time they pull a stunt like that they'll all be shattered in an instant. By my hand, if necessary."

The Crystal Jaspers glared at him. He could see a mixture of fear and anger in those faces, but he didn't really care. It's not like he would tell them honestly why he didn't feel like shattering Bismuth.

 _Doing everything to the best of your ability and never being good enough!_

He just wanted the day to be over.

"Now," he began, stepping in front of Jasper and addressing the rebels. "Hear this, Crystal Gems. You shall forever remember this day as the day you _almost_ caught Pink Diamond."

Now they just looked angry. One of them stepped forward. In the next instant, Onyx's arm cannon was pointed between her eyes.

"If you don't leave in the next thirty seconds, both of you will have your heads blown off."

Without hesitation, the two leapt up, using the holes in the Beta Kindergarten walls as footholds until they had made it to the top of the cliff and out of sight.

He sighed and turned around. He walked over to Jasper and patted her on the back.

"Great things are in store for you, Jasper," he said. "This will most definitely not be the last time we meet."

Jasper could only think to say "Uh-huh," in response.

He walked up to the Rubies. They had unfused during his talk with the Crystal Jaspers.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but…I want you both on my Pink Diamond Elite Task Force," he said.

"Whoooaaaa…" they said in unison. "What's that?"

"Oh, right, knew I was forgetting something today," he said. He walked up to Pink Diamond and knelt down next to her.

"My Diamond," he said. "Might I humbly request –"

"Yes," she said. "Whatever it is, you can have it. After today, I'd give you a spot on the Diamond Authority if you asked me."

"You know I would never ask for that," Onyx said.

"Good," she responded, laughing, "because Yellow and White would have my Gemstone if I suggested that."

She stopped laughing when Onyx hugged her tightly.

"Ow!" she said. "Is this what I do to you all the time?"

"After today, I would never complain about it," Onyx said, grinning like a madman. "But yes."

Pink sighed contentedly and reciprocated the hug.

"MY DIAMOND!"

Onyx stood up, taking Pink Diamond with him before letting go. He turned to see Fire Agate running up to them, a large garrison of troops behind her. Lo and behold, she had even brought the Skinny Jasper, just as Pink Diamond had asked.

"My Diamond!" Fire Agate shouted again, running up to them and saluting. "I apologize, but finding Jasper Cut 5XD took longer than I had anticipated! Then there was an emergency at the Prime Kindergarten I needed to attend to immediately, but then I came back and I was told we were under attack and it took us forever to get back here from the underground lab!"

Onyx sighed and opened his mouth to speak before feeling it being forcefully closed by Pink Diamond.

"I'll handle this one," she said. "You've dealt with enough today. Pearl, my staff, please!"

Pink Pearl walked in front of Onyx, handing Pink Diamond her staff.

"Thank you," Pink Diamond said. Her Pearl bowed and stepped back behind Onyx.

"Now, Fire Agate," Pink Diamond began.

"I can explain, my –"

"The offense for an elite such as yourself for interrupting a Diamond while she is talking is…mmm, let's say 50 years hard labor?"

Fire Agate shut her mouth. Then Pink Diamond burst out laughing.

"I'm just kidding! I made that up!" Fire Agate gave a nervous chuckle.

"But in all seriousness," Pink Diamond said, suddenly serious. "You've _really_ disappointed me today."

This time, Fire Agate deigned to let her Diamond talk.

"Why can't you be more like this gal right here?" Pink Diamond asked, patting her new Jasper warrior on the back. Strangely, they were about equal in height despite the power difference. "I mean, she just got in there and save my freakin' life like it was nothing!"

"I…I…" Jasper couldn't form words. She felt the happiest she had ever been in her short life. Just a few praising words from Pink Diamond was enough to get her into gleeful hysterics?

…She loved her Diamond.

"Thankfully, I'm in a good mood today," Pink Diamond said. "So, I'll let you off with a warning or something. Now, go call Head of Technology and Head of Military, will ya? Tell them we got an emergency meeting on the Moon Base."

"Y-yes my Diamond! Thank you, my Diamond!" Fire Agate bowed deeply as she saluted. She turned around and took her troops with her.

"So," Onyx said. "About the PDETF…"

"The what now?" Pink asked.

"The Pink Diamond Elite Task Force," Onyx explained. "It was my idea I just asked you about."

"You can tell me all about it on the way to the Moon Base, Onyx," Pink said as the group began walking. "Also, work on the name, will ya?"

"Oh," he said. "Is it that bad?"

"We thought it was good!" Ruby 1 said.

"Yeah, it's less stupid than anything we would say!" Ruby 2 said.

Onyx opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. _Just take the compliment,_ he thought to himself.


	9. Am I Right?

**Update 1/27/2019: Fixed a couple continuity errors I found.**

* * *

The PDETF was still pending approval, mainly because the name was a work in progress.

Onyx knew who would join him: the Jasper he met today and the two Rubies. However, there were more important matters to discuss at that moment. He needed to help Pink Diamond get through this meeting. Sure, she had called it, but that didn't mean she had to enjoy it.

Thankfully, this meeting would address something that had been nagging at Onyx ever since he returned to the Moon Base. How on Earth did those Crystal Gems know that Pink Diamond would be at the Beta Kindergarten at that point in time?

The answer wouldn't come as much of a surprise.

* * *

"First point of order," Pink said. Then she leaned over to Onyx and whispered: "Is that the right thing?"

"Yes, point of order is correct," Onyx said back quietly.

"Right, first point of order," Pink said to the entire room now, "is recognizing the…" She turned back to Onyx again. "Uh, what was my –"

"Recognizing the achievements of the Jasper," he said.

"Yes, we are recognizing the achievements of the Jasper that saved my life. I believe she has been designated as 3XL. Because of her achievements, she will be officially admitted into the…ugh, PDETF." She turned to Onyx. "Are you _really_ sure about that name?"

Onyx sighed. They were at the Diamond chamber of the Moon Base. He realized it to be a scene very similar to the day of the Human Zoo expedition. There was Fire Agate, next to her was Peridot. Next to Peridot was…not the Rose Quartz commander. Of course not, she was still imprisoned. Instead, there was Hessonite, a member of Yellow Diamond's court, acting as temporary Head of Military Affairs. Somehow, she seemed even more smug than the Agate. Still, he knew so little about Hessonite that he couldn't form a proper opinion of her.

"My Diamond," Onyx said, shuffling his feet, "I am doing my best."

"It sounds like some sort of bizarre disease name," Peridot said.

"Far too many 'E' sounds in the acronym if you ask me," Hessonite said.

"I think that –"

"We are veering off topic!" Onyx suddenly shouted, cutting off Fire Agate before she could say anything more.

"Right," Pink said. "Anyway, 3XL will be admitted to my 'Elite Task Force,' which will fall under the leadership of Onyx. All in favor say 'aye.'"

Everyone in the room said "aye," with the exception of Pink Pearl.

"It's settled, then!" Pink said. "Now, to the real reason I called you all here. The attack on my life just today."

All faces turned grim at the mention of this event.

"Might I make a suggestion, my Diamond?" Fire Agate asked. Upon seeing her leader nod, the Head of Resource Management continued. "Perhaps we should increase security on your person?"

"The problem here is not quantity," Hessonite said, "but _quality_. She needs more _experienced_ security."

"Are you suggesting," Onyx said, giving her a glare, "that I am incapable of protecting my Diamond?"

"Well, only one of us has a perfect win record," Hessonite pointed out, "and it's certainly not you."

"I saved her from those rebels!" Onyx said, his voice raised in anger.

"By the skin of your teeth," Hessonite said coolly. "Need I point out your numerous other losses?"

"That is neither necessary nor relevant to the problem at hand," Onyx said through gritted teeth.

There was a loud bang as Pink Diamond slammed her staff down on her console. Arguing ceased immediately.

"A round of 'Who's Winning Streak is Bigger' is getting us absolutely nowhere," Pink said. "Hessonite, you should know that I trust Onyx with my life. He proved himself worthy of that trust today. If you question him, you question me." She raised an eyebrow and grinned sadistically. " _You aren't questioning your Diamond, are you?"_

Hessonite shuffled awkwardly and stared at the ground. "Er, no Pink Diamond, that is not the case."

Pink Diamond laughed for a few seconds before stopping abruptly. "Okay, but in all seriousness, Fire Agate has a point and I don't believe she had finished. Agate?"

"Er, yes My Diamond," she said. "Now, as I was saying, I propose we instate a permanent entourage that would surround you at all times. This would require any potential attacker to get through more resistance, allowing for ample time to capture said attacker."

Pink was nodding slowly. "I see…it makes sense."

"I also find sense in this idea," Onyx said.

"All in favor?" Pink asked.

There was a unanimous chorus of "aye," although Hessonite noticeably hesitated.

"It's unanimous! Agate, I leave you in charge of organizing the entourage."

"Thank you, my Diamond," she said.

"So, unless anyone else has something to say…" Pink Diamond left the statement hanging, giving her subordinates time to bring something up.

"My Diamond," Onyx said. "There is one thing that has been bothering me since we returned here."

"And that is?" Pink asked, gazing at him with interest.

"I would like to know how exactly those rebels knew you would be present at the Beta Kindergarten today," Onyx said.

Fire Agate tilted her head curiously. "Why it's obvious, isn't it?" she asked. "This was a routine raid on the Beta Kindergarten not unlike the attacks on the Prime that have been happening since the war's beginning."

"There's more to it than that, though," Onyx said. "This wasn't just a 'routine raid.' The first words Bismuth spoke to me today –"

"Which Bismuth are you referring to?" Peridot asked.

Onyx had to remind himself that there were countless Bismuths in the Homeworld Empire and his allies couldn't possibly know which specific one he was referring to. "A prominent figure in the rebellion's leadership. The first thing she said to me when she ambushed me was 'where is Pink Diamond.' She almost seemed to expect that Pink Diamond would be there." He glanced at his leader with concern before continuing. "Now, the schedule for Pink Diamond's visits to the Kindergartens are entirely confidential to only everyone in this room. I can come to no other conclusion than someone in this room is leaking information to the Crystal Gems."

There was great silence in the room. Everyone stared at Onyx for a moment as they processed his idea.

It was Fire Agate who spoke first.

"Have you cracked?!" she demanded, stalking up to Onyx and glaring down on him. "Are you honestly suggesting that one of us is a spy?"

"It is the only logical explanation I can think of," Onyx said, unflinching in Agate's incredulous rage.

Agate knocked on his head, producing a dull clanging. She didn't seem to notice in her frustration.

"Perhaps that mind of yours isn't as sharp as I was led to believe," she said. "This inner circle is held by only the most trusted individuals hand-picked by Pink Diamond herself!"

She was cut off by a great impact knocking her to the ground. Pink Diamond's staff had extended and smacked her on the side of her head.

" _Really_ digging this staff," she said, returning the staff to normal size and patting it affectionately. "It has so many uses, wouldn't you say, Pearl?"

Pink Pearl nodded, much to the surprise of everyone who hadn't noticed her. Onyx noticed her face turn a darker shade as she smiled a little.

Fire Agate held her head in pain as she stood. Then she stood stiffly at attention.

"I-I-I apologize, my Diamond," she stuttered. "I wasn't thinking clearly."

"Obviously," Onyx said. Agate glared at him, but wisely said nothing.

"Oh, calm down, Agate," Hessonite said, shrugging and shaking her head. "A spy is not a problem if we can sniff it out."

"It's not that simple, Hessonite," Peridot interjected. "We cannot tell who the spy is by merely looking."

"We will need to begin an intensive interrogation procedure," Onyx said. "I will interrogate every one of you to determine which of you is the spy."

"Now hold on," Hessonite said. "I am surprised you haven't seen the logical fallacy in that plan. How are we to know that _you_ aren't that spy, and this is all an elaborate ruse to divert attention off yourself?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Peridot said. "Onyx fought against the rebels on countless occasions and actively obstructed them from stealing Pink Diamond. Furthermore –"

Peridot's next words were cut off when Hessonite's hand wrapped around her throat and lifted her into the air.

"Take that tone with me again," Hessonite said with great anger, "and I will throw you into the Earth's sun with my own two hands. Understand?"

With great difficulty, Peridot nodded her head and made a choking noise that vaguely sounded like "uh-huh."

"That's enough, Hessonite!" Pink Diamond shouted. "Let her go now!"

Hessonite immediately did as she was told. Peridot fell to the ground, gasping for air and coughing.

"Apologies, my Diamond," Hessonite said.

"I don't know how Yellow Diamond's court works, on the count of me getting bored and zoning out when she explained it. Anyway, pointless maiming of your fellow Gems is generally frowned upon here. Get the picture?"

Hessonite nodded slowly, carefully removing all signs of emotion from her face. "Yes, my Diamond."

"Good!" Pink Diamond said. Given how quickly she was transitioning between delight and tranquil fury, Onyx had reason to believe she was messing with everyone in the room.

"Now, what were you saying Onyx?" Pink asked.

Onyx sighed. "Hessonite…you're absolutely correct. I let my instinct to protect Pink Diamond cloud my judgement."

"Awww," Pink remarked. "That's sweet."

"We require an impartial third party to fairly judge which of us is the spy. No, Hessonite, I'm not referring to you." Hessonite lowered her hand with a disgruntled look on her face. "We need someone whose skillset is specifically tailored to investigation."

"So what you're saying is…we need a Zircon?" Pink Diamond asked.

"Precisely," Onyx said.

* * *

Onyx looked around. The walls of the holding cell were blank and featureless, giving the impression that he was stuck in some ethereal white void. The table and two chairs were the only things in the room aside from Onyx himself. He imagined that being stuck in one of these rooms would be a maddening experience for anyone.

All Onyx was feeling at the moment was boredom. He had been stuck in the room for several hours at this point, and he could only review the attack on the Beta Knidergarten so many times before the experience grew stale. There was, however, one event he kept playing back in his head: Pink Pearl tripping Bismuth. Entertaining as that was, he couldn't help but feel… something else whenever he saw it. Was it shame that a Pearl had done his job better than he could have at the time? No, he doubted that was the case.

Then he finally understood. He felt gratitude.

Onyx was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the door to the cell slide open. The telltale _clunk_ of a certain staff hitting the ground gave away who was there before Onyx even saw them.

"Hey, Onyx," Pink Diamond said, cheerfully waving as she walked in. Pink Pearl was not far behind, the door closing after her. Onyx smiled to himself. He was finding it easier to notice his Diamond's most loyal servant as the days went by.

"Not exactly very homely, is it?" Pink asked as she sat down.

"I must admit, the solitude of this cell is enough to make me miss the Rubies," Onyx said.

"So, you _do_ like being around them?" Pink Diamond remarked with a mischievous grin.

"On very _very_ rare occasions," Onyx conceded.

Pink Diamond's face suddenly became very serious. "Listen, you don't have to do this."

Onyx frowned. "I'm afraid I don't follow."

"This whole… _mess_ ," Pink said, waving her arms in a huge circle. "This cell, the interrogation, none of it is needed for you. I can clear your name real easy!"

"I appreciate the gesture, my Diamond," Onyx said, "but I would rather it not come to that."

Pink Diamond tilted her head, tapping her chin in thought. "Whyyyy?"

"If you clear my name, it is true that the others –" He gestured to the door, outside of which the other members of Pink Diamond's inner circle were patiently waiting their turn. "– will accept your opinion without question. However, there will still be lingering doubt in their mind because I was not subjected to the same rigorous questioning that they will soon go through. The only way they will truly accept my loyalty is if you give evidence, at which point you will likely have to divulge my secret to them."

He raised his hand onto the table. The hand glowed with a pale purple light that receded up his arm. He clenched his fist, now exposed as metal with veins of purple energy spread throughout.

"I know about this," he said. "You know about this. But _they_ do not. I would like to keep it that way."

Pink Diamond sighed and leaned back in the chair. It was a slightly awkward maneuver considering the chair was comically small for someone her size. "Why do we have to keep the coolest thing about you a secret to everybody?"

Onyx restored his hand, opening his fist to stare at the pale purple skin of his palm. "Imagine for a moment that you revealed to all of Homeworld the truth about what I am. Every Gem from the smallest Pebble to the mightiest Quartz would look at me and see something alien. Something that exists outside the established norm of our society." He looked at the table. "No one would ever see me the same way again."

Pink Diamond let this information sink in. She eventually nodded. "Fine. I see your point. Welp!" She suddenly rose to her feet, stumbling a bit and catching herself with her staff. "I gotta go. I just came to check up on you."

Onyx nodded. "Where are you headed this time?"

"Back to Earth," she replied. "I never did finish my inspection of the Beta Kindergarten. It's sooo boring but I gotta do it eventually." She turned to walk away when something suddenly occurred to Onyx.

"My Diamond," he said.

She turned around again, tapping her foot impatiently. "Yeeeees?"

"Forgive me for stalling you further, but may I borrow Pearl for a moment?"

Pink Diamond turned to Pink Pearl, who had just opened the door for her. She turned back to Onyx and shrugged. "I guess? Just make it quick."

Pink Diamond walked out of the cell and Pink Pearl closed the door. She stood there awkwardly for a moment.

"Sit down," Onyx said, gesturing to the now empty seat across from him.

Pink Pearl hesitated for a moment, then walked up to the chair. She slowly sat down, as if afraid the chair might give way any second. The two sat in silence, Onyx gathering his thoughts and Pearl sweating nervously. She opened her mouth to speak, apprehension all over her face.

"You don't need to say anything," Onyx said. "Just listen."

Pearl sighed in relief.

Onyx leaned forward. "I never had the chance to thank you."

Pink Pearl tilted her head in confusion.

"You tripped Bismuth and got Pink Diamond away from her," Onyx said. "You may very well have saved her life. You did what I could not." He gave a small smile. "For that I must offer my sincerest gratitude."

Pink Pearl stared at him. Her mouth was hanging open and her eyes were beginning to look watery.

"Don't cry, Pearl," Onyx said.

She nodded and rubbed the tears away.

"Now, go back to our Diamond," he said.

Pink Pearl nodded and stood up. She was about to open the door when something else occurred to Onyx. "Pearl? Continue to keep her safe for me."

Pearl did not turn to look at him, but nodded anyway. She opened the door and walked out. The door slid shut. Onyx was alone again.

* * *

Pink Diamond gave an impatient huff as Pink Pearl finally emerged from the cell. "About dang time!" she said.

Pink Pearl looked around. Hessonite, Fire Agate, and Peridot were all staring at her. This was getting uncomfortable.

"Come on, we have to get to the Galaxy Warp now!" Pink Diamond said. "At this rate, it'll be night at the Beta Kindergarten by the time we get there."

Pink Pearl nodded and followed quickly after Pink Diamond.

They walked without saying a word. The _clunk_ of Pink Diamond's staff on the ground punctuated their footsteps.

It was a few minutes after they had departed that Pink Diamond finally said what was on her mind.

"What did you guys even talk about in there anyway?" she asked.

Pink Pearl simply looked at her Diamond, smiled, and shrugged.

* * *

Just when Onyx thought he really would go insane from waiting, the door slid open again. Standing in the doorway, surrounded by oblong holo-screens was a Blue Zircon.

Zircons fulfilled a few roles on Homeworld, most of which were similar to each other. Some were linguists, interpreting the written languages of long-lost civilizations and translating them with great accuracy. Some were lawyers, taking equal parts in defense and prosecution with the higher-profile ones even attending cases overseen by the Diamonds themselves. The one that had arrived in Onyx's cell was both this and an investigator. It was her job to find out who among the billions of Gems in Homeworld's empire weren't as loyal as they said they were.

Zircons were an interesting case for Onyx. He had no strong opinion on them. He did not like them, but then again, he didn't dislike them either. He admired their deductive reasoning skills, yet he frowned upon how some of them could get so flustered when a case did not go their way.

Blue Zircon took one of the holo-screens around her and pulled it closer to her face. She was deeply engrossed in thought, not even looking up when the door closed and she took the seat across from Onyx. She hummed in thought, scrolling down the file on the screen and reading at an impressive pace.

Onyx began to speak. "I am –"

"I know who you are," Zircon said, still not looking up from her screen.

Onyx nodded and leaned forward in his chair. "How much do you know about me?"

"Not nearly as much as I would like to," Zircon said. With a frustrated sigh she pushed the holo-screen away from her and finally looked Onyx in the eye. "Do you have any idea how difficult it was to find information on you?"

"I do have some idea," he said. He was well aware that many of the files detailing his creation were restricted and not often sought after. Most of the nobility on Homeworld didn't even know he existed.

"You're an enigma," Zircon said. "If one doesn't look hard enough, one might assume you don't exist. It certainly doesn't make my job any easier," Zircon said. She pulled out another screen from her monocle and placed it on the table. Onyx recognized it as a voice recorder. She began recording.

"State your name and designation for the record, please," Zircon said.

"Onyx," he replied. "Facet 3MP, Cut 7RD."

"What is your connection to Pink Diamond?" she asked.

"I live to serve my Diamond in whatever manner she desires," he said. "As of current, I am her guard and I am occasionally dispatched on missions integral to dismantling the Crystal Gem Rebellion."

"Approximately how long have you served under Pink Diamond?" Zircon asked.

"576 years," Onyx said. "That is also how long I have been in existence."

"What are your personal feelings regarding Pink Diamond?" Zircon asked.

Onyx hesitated for a moment. Zircon furrowed her brow. "Answer the question, please," she said impatiently.

After another moment's pause, Onyx spoke again. "My apologies, I was merely gathering my thoughts.

"My Diamond is the best person I have ever met. Her ideas are unorthodox, yet understandable. She is unusually expressive, yet she knows when to be serious. She is far from eloquent, but she shows great improvement every day. I owe my very existence to her, and for that I shall continue to serve her until the end of time. I will ensure her safety no matter the cost. She is my Diamond in every sense of the phrase. And…" He briefly considered how wise it would be to say this, then dismissed that thought. "And she is my friend."

"Your… friend?" Blue Zircon gave him a look of confusion.

"She told me as much," he said.

Blue Zircon nodded. "Back on the topic at hand, where were you when Pink Diamond was captured."

Onyx's stare suddenly turned cold. "I would like to remind you that my Diamond was captured _very_ briefly. We were able to rescue her in the end."

"Answer the question, please."

Onyx sighed. "I was at the Beta Kindergarten. I was in another section when she was captured."

"Why weren't you with her if you are so loyal to her?" Zircon asked.

"I was _ordered_ to be in that section," Onyx said. "She had told me that we could get more work done if we split up and shared our findings."

"Was anyone else with you?" Zircon asked.

"A Peridot working at the Kindergarten," Onyx said. "And two Rubies. They too were sent to guard Pink Diamond, but she felt I…" Onyx took a moment to remember exactly how she had articulated her reasoning. "She felt I might get 'lonely,' so she sent the Rubies to entertain me."

"Entertain you?" Zircon asked.

"Pink Diamond's ideas are unorthodox, yet understandable," Onyx repeated.

"How exactly did the attack go down?" Zircon asked.

"I was inspecting a section where a Gem was currently planted when the Crystal Gems Bismuth and her soldiers attacked me," Onyx explained. They demanded to know where Pink Diamond was, but I of course refused to tell them. I sent the Peridot to acquire backup and raise the alarm. We were outnumbered and were it not for the Jasper emerging from the wall to provide backup we may very well have lost."

"How was Pink Diamond captured?" Zircon asked. "From my understanding, she was in another section of the Kindergarten."

"She told me later that she had heard the sounds of battle and wanted to investigate them," he said. "As she approached, the Bismuth with the Crystal Gems was easily able to capture her in her weakened state."

"And you could do nothing to save her?" Zircon asked.

Onyx gritted his teeth. "Bismuth had threatened to shatter her," Onyx said. "Had I done anything rash, something terrible could have happened."

"You had your arm cannon," Zircon said. "Could you not have shot at the Bismuth from a distance? Could you not have saved –"

" **I could not risk her safety!"** Onyx screamed, pounding his fist on the table as he reached his breaking point. Zircon was flustered and nearly fell out of her seat. **"I was unable to act without risking harming her! What if Bismuth was faster than I and harmed her before I could fire a single shot? What if my aim was off and I hit my Diamond instead? I would sooner shatter myself than risk harming a hair on her head!"**

Onyx tilted his head. "Does that answer all of your questions?" he asked, speaking as if his outburst hadn't even occurred.

Zircon gulped nervously and sat up straight. "Er, yes. I think I've heard enough. You're free to go."

"Thank you," Onyx said. He stood up and walked out of the room.

Blue Zircon stopped recording and sighed. "I really hate my job sometimes."

* * *

Onyx opened the door and was greeted with chaos.

The Rubies were talking loudly, each one trying to be heard over someone else in the room and progressively getting louder. Some Rubies were arm wrestling. Most were just wrestling. It was rowdy, uncouth, and did he mention it was _loud_?

Onyx sighed. Then, for the second time that day, Onyx raised his voice.

" **SILENCE!"** he shouted.

All the Rubies in the room froze in place. Out of the corner of his eye, Onyx saw one Ruby take advantage of the distraction and slam her opponent's arm down on the table.

"HA!" she shouted.

There was a loud bang as a laser pierced her body, poofing her instantly.

Onyx sighed in relief and dispelled his arm cannon. "I require the presence of two Facet 5 Rubies, Cut 1CY and 2CY, as well as their new recruit."

Two voices cried out excitedly as three of the Rubies ran up to him. He recognized two of them: Ruby 1 with her gemstone on her right shoulder and Ruby 2 with her gemstone on the back of her right third was looking at him with a dopey expression, nervously rubbing her shoulder. Aside from her Gemstone being placed on her left shoulder, she was identical to the other two with her.

Onyx motioned for them to follow him out of the room. "Carry on," he said to the rest of the Rubies. The instant he closed the door, he heard the chaos increase in volume with every second.

"So, what's the plan, boss?" Ruby 1 asked.

"Never call me 'boss' again," Onyx said. "Follow me." He began walking quickly down the hall, the Rubies quickly following.

"Uh, excuse me?" the new Ruby asked, raising her hand. "But who are you?"

"Onyx, your new superior," he said. "I assume you are the new Ruby 3?"

"Actually, she's Ruby 4!" Ruby 2 said.

"Why?" Onyx asked.

"Ruby 3 is a traitor, duh!" Ruby 1 said.

"Ah, of course," Onyx said. Briefly he thought of Garnet. Had she foreseen the spy being found out?

"So, where are we going now?" Ruby 4 asked.

"To pick up someone else," he said. They stopped outside another door and Onyx opened it.

This one was another holding cell, though this one lacked a table or chairs. Sitting on the ground inside was a burly figure, one who had only been in existence for several hours.

Jasper looked up and saw Onyx enter with the three Rubies behind him. "You again," she said.

"Yes," Onyx said. "I do not believe we were properly introduced. I am Onyx." He held out a hand to Jasper.

She stood up. Onyx sighed internally at the fact that she was much taller than him. She took his hand in hers and shook it.

"As of today, I am your superior officer," Onyx said. "We have much to discuss."

* * *

"What is your relation to Pink Diamond?" Zircon asked.

"I am her Head of Technological Development," Peridot said, staring intently at a chart on her screen. "I oversee all tech production on the Earth Colony, I am head of quite a few secret projects that you have no clearance to know about, and I am without question the most intelligent Gem in her inner circle."

Zircon nodded, a bit miffed at the tone Peridot was taking with her. "Where were you during the attack at the Beta Kindergarten?"

"Doing things which you have no clearance to know about," Peridot said, sliding her screen to a new graph. "Overseeing several projects that are highly classified."

Zircon glared. "This is an interrogation," she said through her teeth. "Clearance is irrelevant at this point."

"All you need to know," Peridot said, "is that I don't even know how the attack happened, so you don't have to waste our time asking that question. Pink Diamond just told us that it happened, Onyx mentioned there being a Bismuth there, and nothing more. My loyalty is resolute."

"I will be the judge of that," Zircon said.

"Think of it this way," Peridot said. "I see the Crystal Gems as idiots wasting valuable mind power on trivial matters like 'freedom.' I am far too invested in my research and the resources provided to me by Homeworld to squander it all by getting involved in some pointless rebellion."

Zircon narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by 'pointless?'"

"I'm just saying that win or lose, the Crystal Gems are doomed either way," Peridot said. "But even that is saying too much. If you really want to know what I'm talking about, you can go ask Yellow Diamond and she might tell you if she's feeling generous."

"The point of an interrogation," Zircon said, "is to glean as much information as possible from you. I can't do that if you withhold _everything_. And would you stop looking at that screen for one minute?!"

"No," Peridot said.

* * *

Jasper sat cross-legged and stared at the ground. "So, these Crystal Gems want to take Pink Diamond's colony from her."

"Yes," Onyx said.

"And we have to stop them?" Jasper said.

"That is the overly simplified version of events, yes," Onyx said. "As members of the Pink Diamond Elite Task Force… oh my stars, that really is a mouthful." Onyx shook his head and continued. "As members of the PDETF, we shall carry out the most high-profile missions available. We shall serve Pink Diamond in any way she deems necessary. When not on missions, we shall be members of her entourage, carefully safeguarding her from all harm. Do you have any objections to this?"

Jasper thought about the first thing Pink Diamond said to her upon her emergence. She shook her head. "Not at all."

"Count me in!" Ruby 1 said, raising her hand.

"Me too!" Ruby 2 said, also raising her hand.

"Me four!" Ruby 4 said, raising her foot.

Jasper and Onyx stared at them. "Why exactly are they here?" the Quartz soldier asked.

"I tend to overthink everything," Onyx said. "These three shall help me simplify things."

"Also, we're really good at punching things," Ruby 1 said.

"Yeah, kick, punch!" Ruby 2 said.

"It's all in the mind!" Ruby 4 said.

"Now what are they babbling about?" Jasper asked.

Onyx sighed. "I am beginning to miss the interrogation room."

"You know we can hear you, right?" Ruby 1 asked.

* * *

"I mean, I suppose I always knew I was destined for greatness, but I never really expected Yellow Diamond herself to recognize my talents. Oh, who am I kidding, of course I did! I mean my perfect winning streak has been going on for centuries now with no signs of stopping. Of course Yellow Diamond would have to recognize my talents eventually."

Hessonite stopped talking and looked at Zircon. "I'm sorry, you were saying?"

Zircon rubbed her temples. "All I asked," she said, "was for you to state your name and designation for the record."

"Oh, my apologies," Hessonite said. "I just get so caught up in myself sometimes. I mean, who could blame me right? Have I mentioned my perfect winning streak by the way?"

"Yes. You have. _Ten times._ "

* * *

Onyx hesitated. He might regret this, but he felt this was for the best.

"There is one more thing I must share with you all," Onyx said. "As we are a team now, we must not have any secrets between us. There will come times where we must trust each other with our lives. We must trust each other with utmost conviction." He took a deep breath. "And so, I must divulge my greatest secret to you. If any of you reveals this to anyone without my permission, I shall shatter you myself."

He raised his arms to his sides. His entire body began to glow with purple light. The light receded up his limbs and down his head, artificial flesh giving way to metal plates and tubes of energy. When the light faded, he looked at each of the soldiers. They all into the purple lights that were his eyes.

"This is my true form," he said. "I am part machine. I am the prototype of the Titanium Project."

Ruby 4 and Jasper continued to stare with mouths agape. Rubies 1 and 2, however, were not so shocked. After all, they had already seen him without his skin after he was ruined in his first encounter with Garnet. That did not lessen their impressment with him, however.

"So does this mean you're indestructible?" Jasper asked.

"No," Onyx said. "Just exceedingly difficult to stop." Glowing light began to envelop him, travelling down his arms and up his head. When the light faded, he was back in his uniform and he had normal-looking purple eyes.

"Why do you never cover your legs when you do that glowy skin thing?" Ruby 1 asked, pointing at said limbs.

"There are rockets stored in there," he said. "If I cover them, I won't be able to fly. Also, my gemstone contains insufficient power to cover my entire body. I can pass off my legs as metal boots."

"You can fly?!" Ruby 4 asked.

"Yes," Onyx said, looking a bit proud of himself. "I can."

"Coooool," Ruby 4 said.

"Just wait 'til you see him crash," Ruby 1 said.

Onyx's arm cannon appeared on his hand in an instant.

"Shutting up now," Ruby 1 said.

* * *

Zircon stared intently in Fire Agate's eyes. "What is your connection to Pink Diamond."

"I am her head of Resource Management," Fire Agate said. "I regulate the distribution of Gem workers and soldiers to where they are needed. I organize the harvest of natural resources and the implanting of new Gems in the Kindergartens."

"What is your opinion of Pink Diamond?" Zircon asked.

"Well, she's perfect of course!" Fire Agate said, hands up to her cheeks and gazing at the ceiling with admiration. "When I heard she wanted _me_ to be her Head of Resource Management, I thought I would crack from the excitement! Working with her is truly a pleasure!"

"Where were you during the attack on Pink Diamond?" Zircon asked.

"I was with her, of course," Fire Agate said. "She had wanted me to show her around the Beta Kindergarten. It was a bit of a rush job, but I made sure to make the best of it."

"Why weren't you with her when she was captured?" Zircon asked.

"Well, she had requested to see a Gem that had emerged from a particular exit," Fire Agate said. "So, I had to run back to the lab and find her. By the time I had, a Peridot technician came running in shouting about an attack. It was all over by the time I got there."

"So you couldn't do anything to help?"

"Of course not, I was off planet!" Fire Agate said. "I mean, what's that Onyx's excuse? He had Bismuth in his sights, it was an easy target. Our Rubies had the rebellious Rubies occupied, the Jaspers and Amethysts were dazed, he had no obstructions. Frankly, it was almost as if he _wanted_ her to be captured."

Zircon's eyes narrowed.

"Am I right?" Fire Agate asked, looking rather smug.

Zircon smiled and tapped her monocle. "Yes. You are."

* * *

Onyx suddenly heard a ringing in his ears. He held a hand up to stop the Rubies and Jasper from talking. He held his hand up to the side of his head.

"Yes, my Diamond," he said.

"Just got a notification from Blue Zircon," Pink Diamond said. "You should get down there. I'll be with you as quick as I can."

"Understood," he said. Without another word, he cut off communications.

"Why were you talking to yourself?" Jasper asked.

"One of the perks of being a machine," he said. "I was built with direct access to the Diamond communication line in my CPU."

"Cooool," the three Rubies said. Onyx opened the door and walked out, the others following him.

"What's a CPU?" Ruby 1 asked Jasper. The burly soldier just shrugged.

* * *

Blue Zircon looked at the lineup of Gems in front of her. Jasper and the Rubies were standing off to the side, watching the proceedings.

"I have to say," Blue Zircon said, "I was expecting this case to be one of the hardest ones in my life. A spy in a Diamond's own inner circle would have to be incredibly cunning and an impeccable actor. And I must say, I was not disappointed."

"Well, out with it," Hessonite said. "Who is it?"

Blue Zircon leaned her back against the wall. "I suggest we wait for Pink Diamond to get –"

"Here!" Everyone turned to see Pink Diamond running up to them. She leaned heavily on her staff, looking ready to collapse any minute. "What did I miss?"

"We were just about to discuss Blue Zircon's findings, my Diamond," Onyx said.

"Oh…good. Let's… get it over with then," she said between breaths. "Hoo! Should not have…sprinted all the way here."

Onyx nodded and turned to Zircon. "You heard her, let's hear it."

"Very well, then," Zircon said. She walked up to each Gem in the line, slowly pacing in front of them.

She suddenly stopped and turned to the Gem next to her with a confident smile. "Fire Agate, how did you know the contents of the Crystal Gems' attack party if you weren't there to witness it?"

Fire Agate stood there, looking Zircon in the eye. Everyone turned and stared at the two of them.

Before anyone could say anything else, Fire Agate stepped forward and punched Zircon in the face.

"Get her!" Peridot shouted, running forward with her limb enhancers forming into a cannon. Fire Agate reached into the gemstone in her right eye and pulled out a flail. She swung the weapon and the spiked ball threw Peridot off her feet with the impact. She turned to Pink Diamond, who was still hunched over and out of breath. Everyone around her was pulling out their respective weapons. She ran towards Pink Diamond, letting out a war cry.

Suddenly, Pink Diamond stood up and tripped Fire Agate with a swing of her staff. Before Fire Agate had even hit the ground, Pink Diamond swung the staff again and hit her across the face. Fire Agate spun around and landed on her back.

"Congrats, Fire Agate," Pink Diamond said, all signs of her previous fatigue vanished. "You just got duped." She looked up, suddenly looking a bit worried. "That is the right word, right?"

"Yes, it is," Onyx said with a smile. He leaned over and picked up Fire Agate, holding her hands behind her back.

"If you think that my shattering will change anything," she said, "then you are sorely –"

Her next words were cut off when Onyx put his arm cannon against her head. "I have been waiting to do this for a long time."

He fired. A flash of purple light and a cloud of red smoke followed. The teardrop-shaped red gemstone bounced once against the ground with a _clink_. Onyx picked it up and covered it with both his hands. When he lifted one of his hands off, the gemstone was now surrounded by a purple bubble.

"I must say, that was very cleverly done, my Diamond," Onyx said.

"Aww, thanks Onyx," Pink Diamond said.

"Owww…." Everyone turned to Blue Zircon, completely forgotten in the excitement. Jasper walked over and helped her to her feet.

"Are you unharmed?" Onyx asked.

"Oh, I'll be just…" Zircon tilted her head. "Why are you all multiplying?"

"She'll be fine," Peridot said. "The dizziness should wear off soon."

Onyx nodded. He turned to Pink Diamond and lifted up the bubble. "My Task Force and I are going to get this to the holding facility."

"Excellent," Pink Diamond said with a smile. "Now we can concentrate on fighting the Rebellion."

"It's good to get back to work," Onyx said.

* * *

 **A/N: So I guess this is technically an Alternate Universe fic now.**

 **I'm back from my hiatus. Why did I take a hiatus? Well, long story short, I've had family issues, we've had to sell my childhood home, I got a job, and quite frankly my life was just getting crazy. But that's just boring stuff, you don't want to hear about that.**

 **I finally caught up on the recent episodes, watched the season 5 finale, and promptly got disappointed that Steven and Garnet's fusion wasn't a giant Bowser after they got crushed by the Diamond Megazord. Maybe I've been playing too much Bowser's Inside Story 3D lately.**

 **Huge shoutout to Guest Reviewer Shade for inadvertently giving me the motivation to write again by asking me to post an author's note explaining why I'm not continuing the story. Except now I _am_ continuing the story partially to spite you. Joke's on you, clod.**

 **I won't be rewriting this story from scratch to account for certain plot developments. As I said, this is technically an AU now, so I'm just going to roll with the punches. I'll have to reinvent certain aspects I had planned out, but other than that the show must go on.**

 **Thank you to everyone who's stuck with this story. I don't know how but this story accumulated 52 followers since my absence. That's insane. You're all awesome.**


	10. When Did You Learn to Do That?

The ill-named PDETF saw little action in its beginning stages. They stayed in Pink Diamond's massive entourage, which had been organized by one of Blue Diamond's Agates in lieu of Pink's Agate being a traitor. They protected her, made sure no one could get close to her without clearance, made sure she didn't try to strangle anyone as she became easier to provoke with each passing moment the Crystal Gems continued to exist.

That is, until the Red Temple was attacked by a golem of light.

The light creatures attacked suddenly, driving out all living things within. No one saw them approach; it was as if they had appeared from thin air. Strangely, no one saw any Crystal Gems within the Red Temple even as the Light Prism tore the place apart.

The Red Temple had been a place of ceremony to honor soldiers who displayed admirable bravery and impeccable skill. It was built into the top of a volcano on an island that the humans would come to call Barren Island in present day. To the Homeworld Gems of 5000 years ago, it was merely an island offshoot of Sector 11.

The PDETF was immediately dispatched to retrieve the Light Prism.

* * *

"Have you ever wanted a Pearl?" Ruby 4 asked.

"I have never felt any particular desire for one," Onyx said, running his hands along a wall. "I can understand the appeal, however."

They were at the Red Temple, engaging in idle chatter to pass the time in their somewhat tedious hunt for the Prism. It was a bit difficult to see there due to the fact that everything was a deep dark red. The walls, the ground, even the lights above them were red. Onyx was impressed with himself he could even see the Rubies in this bizarre place.

"I guess they look – Ow!" Jasper had bumped into a pillar that was almost the exact same shade of red as the wall behind it. She rubbed her gemstone in pain as she continued. "They look nice, but it's creepy how they follow you around and you never even notice them."

"Not all Pearls are like that," Onyx said, putting his head against the wall and knocking on it. "Only our Diamond's Pearl has that talent as far as I've seen."

"How does she do it, anyway?" Ruby 1 asked. "I mean, does she secretly have the power to turn invisible?"

"Nothing so extravagant," Onyx said.

"So she doesn't have any superpowers?" Ruby 2 asked.

"Not at all," Onyx said, taking a step back.

"Then what is it?" Jasper asked. "What's her secret to disappearing like that?"

Onyx gave a small smile. "It's actually quite simple. I didn't realize it myself until very recently. She has convinced everyone – including herself – that she is not worth noticing."

Ruby 4 tilted her head. "How does that work?"

"When Pink Pearl convinced herself she doesn't matter, that she is beneath notice, soon the rest of the world began to believe that as well," he said. "Eyes gloss over her, dismiss her as not important. Consequently, most are surprised when attention is brought to her." Onyx turned around and began stepping away from the wall. "Of course, the whole ruse is broken the moment you decide she is worth noticing. Take this wall, for example."

The others stared at the wall. "The wall convinced itself it isn't worth noticing?" Ruby 1 asked.

"No," Onyx said. "Whoever constructed this temple wanted it not to be noticed."

"What do you mean?" Jasper asked.

"Look at it," Onyx said. "There are no cracks, no fluctuations in color, no irregularities in the structure. It is completely unremarkable." He summoned his arm cannon and began charging his beam. "To me, that makes it stick out like a snowball in a volcano."

The barrel of the cannon was now tipped with a ball of purple energy. Onyx fired, lighting up the room and causing the others to shield their eyes. There was a loud _bang_ and an explosion of dust and rubble (Onyx noted with some annoyance that even that was red). When it settled, there was now a hole in the wall, behind it an unlit corridor.

"Wow," Ruby 2 said. "You're so smart, Onyx!"

"Well, someone has to be the brains of this team," Onyx said, dismissing his cannon. "None of you would be fit to play that role."

"Yeah, you're right," Ruby 4 said.

"What kind of response is that? He just insulted you!" Jasper said.

Onyx's eyes narrowed as he pulled up the schematics of the Red Temple. "All of you quiet down. This passageway isn't on the floor plan. It is more than likely an extension of the building created by the Crystal Gems to hide in case of attack. Be ready for anything."

The others immediately took on serious expressions and nodded.

* * *

The corridor turned out to be little more than a tunnel built into the mountain. It sloped downward, spiraled in on itself, and soon Onyx found it difficult to tell how deep they had managed to go.

Eventually they found a light at the end of the tunnel.

"Woo! Finally, we can get out of this stuffy cave!" Ruby 4 said, running ahead of everyone.

"Ruby, wait!" Onyx's shouts were in vain as Ruby 4 could be seen losing her balance and dropping below sight. Everyone sprinted out of the tunnel and looked around.

They were on a cliff in the side of the volcano. Looking down, there was nothing but miles of jungle leading into the ocean.

"Guys?" Everyone turned to see a pair of red hands clinging to the cliff's edge. The other two Rubies ran forward, pulling Ruby 4 onto solid ground. Ruby 4 sat up and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sorry guys," she said.

"What were you thinking?" Onyx said with a disapproving look. "We are in enemy territory, and uncharted territory at that! We have no idea what's in store for us." He looked around at the others. "I expect all of you to exercise extreme caution and maintain constant vigilance from here on out. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" everyone said in unison.

"Good," he said. "Let's move, and please refrain from making any extraneous noise."

They began walking along a path that spiraled up the mountain at a very gradual slope. Ruby 1 suddenly raised her hand.

"What about our footsteps?" she asked.

Onyx turned and stared into her eyes with an annoyed glare. Ruby 1 raised a hand to her mouth and pantomimed zipping it shut.

* * *

They continued around the side of the volcano. A path had been carved into the dark stone, but the ceiling was so low that Jasper had to pay attention so she didn't bump her head at points.

Ruby 1 looked to her left and stopped walking. The other Rubies joined her.

"You know, I never realize how pretty the Earth can be at times," Ruby 2 said.

"You said it, Ruby," Ruby 1 said.

"I wonder what trees taste like," Ruby 4 said.

Onyx suddenly stopped walking. As Jasper walked past him, she suddenly cried out and leaned back as Onyx pulled her hair.

"What's the big idea?" Jasper asked.

Onyx turned around. The Rubies were several paces behind them.

"Why are you all idling about?" Onyx asked.

"I don't know what that means, but I can tell you why we're all standing around here," Ruby 1 said.

"This awesome view!" Ruby 2 said.

Onyx sighed and walked back over to them. There was a loud grating sound as Jasper's boots dug into the ground when Onyx dragged her behind him.

"Why are we wasting our time on this?" Onyx asked.

"Just look!" Ruby 1 said.

Most of the island was covered in forest, the plant life flourishing in the volcanic soil. Beyond that was a long line of pale sand where the water met the land. Beyond that was miles of ocean, as far as the eye could see. Aside from the Red Temple further up the volcano, the entire island was untouched by civilization.

"What is it that you see in this landscape?" Onyx asked.

"It's pretty," Ruby 1 said.

"It's full of life," Ruby 2 said.

"It looks like a fuzzy turtle," Ruby 4 said.

Onyx stared at Ruby 4 for a moment longer. Then he turned to Jasper. "What do you see in this view?"

Jasper, glaring at the mechanical Gem, yanked her hair out of Onyx's grip. "I guess it looks nice," she said.

Onyx turned to the view.

"I see nothing but land yet to be exploited," Onyx said.

Ruby 2 looked at Onyx. "That's pretty spherical of you, Onyx."

Jasper gave Ruby 2 a weird look. "Don't you mean 'cynical'?"

"That's what I said," Ruby 2 insisted.

"I have never been one to have sentimentality about such things," Onyx said, crossing his arms. "I am practical to a fault."

"Jeez, you really need to loosen up," Ruby 1 said.

"Pink Diamond tells me much the same thing," Onyx said. He looked down and closed his eyes. "I worry that my inability to do so displeases her."

The Rubies and Jasper looked at each other worriedly. It was strange to hear their usually stoic leader acting like this.

Onyx looked up and opened his eyes. "We are wasting time. Let us continue." He continued walking along the path.

Once Onyx was out of earshot, Jasper turned to the Rubies. "What's up with him?"

Ruby 2 shrugged. "He takes being Pink Diamond's assistant very seriously."

"Why do you think he's so devoted to her?" Ruby 1 asked. They all began to follow behind Onyx. "I mean, she's our Diamond and all, but he's like on a whole other level of devotion."

"Why does he do anything?" Ruby 4 asked. "I mean, he's a machine, right? I have a hard enough time understanding other regular Gems, something like him is just impossible for me to figure out."

Jasper thought carefully. Something about Onyx's plight made her think back to her first day of life. She didn't know how long it had been since her emergence, but she could still remember it clearly.

" _Why can't you be more like this gal here?" Pink Diamond asked, patting her new Jasper warrior on the back. "I mean, she just got in there and saved my freakin' life like it was nothing!"_

"Maybe," Jasper said, "it's something personal. Something… something you can't just put into words."

The Rubies looked at Jasper in amazement. "That's soooo deep, Jasper," Ruby 1 said.

"All of you, be quiet!" They all turned at the angry whispers of Onyx, who was staring around a corner up ahead. They all moved to join him.

"What's wrong?" Jasper asked. Onyx held up a hand to stop any further questioning and pointed to the side of his head. The others nodded and listened carefully. Indeed, they could hear voices further up the path, but they were too far away to discern what they were saying.

"No more chatter," Onyx whispered. "From now on, keep it stealthy."

The others nodded.

They kept their footsteps quiet as they continued up the path. With each step the voices grew louder and became easier to make out. The path began to level out, going from a gentle upwards slope to a flat surface.

They finally reached the end of the path. To their left was a sheer cliff, ending several feet down in the forest. To their right, there was a tunnel built into the wall, oddly geometric and smooth compared to the one slope they had been walking up this entire time. This was the source of the voices, which were slightly distorted by echo. Beyond the tunnel entrance there was a warp pad. However, Onyx tried to occupy himself with what the voices were saying and who they belonged to.

"…don't understand! We've managed to activate it, but it keeps getting out of our control!"

This voice Onyx recognized as the Bismuth that he had encountered at the Beta Kindergarten. Thinking back, he realized it had been several years since that event. He shook his head. This war was causing his grip on the passage of time to dwindle.

"It's likely still imprinted to its original master." This voice Onyx recognized as the Fusion called Garnet. Though he had encountered her several times before forming the PDETF, he realized that Jasper and the Rubies hadn't yet seen her fight. He idly began to wonder what they would think of her.

As he continued to listen, Onyx pointed at the warp pad and Ruby 4 nodded. She ran up and stood on the device. After a few seconds, she turned around and shook her head at her leader.

Onyx scanned the warp pad, prompting a message to flash across his screen.

[OBJECT IDENTIFIED: ENCRYPTED WARP PAD. ONLY AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL MAY USE THIS DEVICE. UNIT IS NOT RECORDED ON ANY WARP CHART.]

It was as Onyx had suspected. Throughout the war, the Crystal Gems had been constructing new Warp Pads and encrypting old ones. Little by little they were cutting off Homeworld from instantaneous travel across the planet. Only more heavily guarded locations like the Kindergartens and Galaxy Warp were left in the control of Homeworld.

"We can't let what happened at the Red Temple happen again. We're at risk of giving away our location."

This voice Onyx recognized as Rose Quartz's Pearl. It had been a while since he had seen her at the desert of Sector 3. Realizing that they would have to contend with three very skilled fighters, he turned to the other members of the PDETF.

"There are three Gems in there," he said, keeping his voice lowered. "At least three, all of which I recognize. Jasper, I want you to stay out here and keep anyone from using that Warp Pad. Rubies, I want you to follow me in there. Don't confront them until I do. And above all else, _do not underestimate them_. One of them is a Pearl, but she is just as formidable a fighter as any Quartz. Any objections?"

They all shook their heads at him. "Good. Let's move."

He crept inside the tunnel, the Rubies following close behind him while Jasper hid behind the corner further down the path. He moved slowly and quietly. There was an orange light coming from within the tunnel as they continued. The tunnel itself was smooth carved stone. Nowhere to hide in case they were spotted.

At long last they made it to the other end of the tunnel. Onyx stood flat against the wall, and the Rubies did the same opposite him. They had come upon some sort of forge. Hanging along the walls were various weapons, from axes taller than Onyx to daggers that would fit in the palm of his hand. There were long flat tables containing drawings and even more weapons and tools. There were containers filled with materials that Onyx didn't have time to scan and determine their function.

The source of the orange light was magma falling into a pool from the ceiling at the back of the room. Casting long shadows by this light were the three Gems Onyx had recognized. Garnet was mostly the same, though he did notice she was sporting a reflective visor over her eyes. Pearl and Bismuth were unchanged from when he last saw them. They were all standing around another table. However, the only object on this one was a simple small pyramid, refracting all light passing through it.

The Light Prism.

"But you can't deny we're making progress," Bismuth said, responding to something Garnet had just said when Onyx wasn't paying attention.

"We were barely able to contain the White Light," Garnet said.

"But we did get it to activate," Pearl said. "That's more than anything we could do before."

Onyx nodded to the three Rubies, and they nodded back. They followed him as he stepped inside, the four of them hiding behind a huge workbench. The Crystal Gems were too occupied with the Prism on the table to notice them at first.

"It's one thing to unleash an army," Garnet said. "It's another thing entirely to control it."

"But Rose said –"

Garnet held up a hand and cut off Pearl's next words. She looked at the tunnel leading outside. Bismuth and Pearl stared at the entrance as well.

"You can come out of hiding now," Garnet said. "Surprise attacks won't work on me."

Onyx stood up, placing his hands on the workbench and giving a smug smile. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," he said. "I forgot to account for that pesky Future Vision of yours. Quite an impressive skill."

Bismuth and Pearl squinted at him in the uncertain light of the magma flow. Then they both glared in unison.

"You!" they shouted together. Pearl reached into her gemstone, pulling out a spear while Bismuth formed her hands into scythes.

"You tried to attack Rose at the desert!" Pearl shouted.

"You got Fire Agate captured!" Bismuth shouted.

"Hello, Onyx," Garnet said calmly.

Onyx stepped out from behind the workbench, the Rubies following him in a line. "Technically, I am not to blame for your spy's demise," he said. "That honor goes to a certain Blue Zircon. I was merely a spectator."

"What do you want," Garnet demanded. It was not a question.

Onyx held out a hand. "All my team and I came here for is the Light Prism. Give us that, and we shall leave in peace."

"We won't give anything to you!" Pearl shouted.

"What we do with this thing is none of your bismuth!" the blacksmith shouted.

Everyone turned and stared at her in unison. She shrugged.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," she said.

"Bad jokes aside," Onyx said. "We will not leave until we obtain what we came here for."

Ruby 1 squinted at Garnet's silhouette. Then she jumped excitedly. "Hey Ruby, isn't that –"

"It is!" Ruby 2 shouted. "Ruby 3!"

"We still love you!" the two of them called together. "No hard feelings for bailing on us!"

"Oh, so that's Ruby 3?" Ruby 4 asked.

Garnet stared at the Rubies. Slowly, a smile began to form on her face.

"You guys haven't changed a bit," she said.

"Such a beautiful reunion, I am truly touched," Onyx said in monotone. "Give us the Light Prism now!"

Garnet picked up the prism and gave it to Pearl. "You two go get backup, I'll hold them here."

Pearl and Bismuth dispelled their weapons and stared at her in confusion. "What?" Pearl asked.

"Why do I have to go with her?" Bismuth asked. "I can help you!"

Garnet said nothing in response but took Bismuth's hand and planted a kiss on it. While Onyx and the Rubies stared in confusion, Bismuth's eyes merely widened. She nodded in understanding and placed a hand on Pearl's shoulder.

"We got this," Bismuth said.

"Rubies," Onyx said. This was all he needed to say to get his three soldiers to shout a war cry. They charged at Bismuth and Pearl, forming their weapons. As per Homeworld regulations, Ruby teams consisted of Gems with identical weapons. Thus, they all summoned gauntlets on their hands and took battle stances.

Pearl merely grinned with confidence. She raised the Light Prism up to her head, storing it within her gemstone. Bismuth flung her arms forward. They stretched far, her fists bashing into the Rubies and pushing them onto their backs. Pearl and Bismuth leapt over the Rubies.

Before Onyx could make a move to pursue them, Garnet threw a punch at him. Literally. She had launched her gauntlet at him like a rocket.

Onyx felt the fist throw him into the wall behind him, forming cracks in the stone. The gauntlet exploded, throwing a cloud of red smoke in his face. He shook his head, stumbling out of the smoke cloud with his arm cannon raised on his right hand. Garnet was there, her missing hand reforming as she punched with the other. Onyx caught the punch with his free hand, struggling to keep the Fusion at bay. Pearl and Bismuth were nowhere to be seen and the Rubies were picking themselves back up.

"You don't seem too worried about your target getting away," Garnet said with a grin.

"I am more interested in studying you," Onyx replied. "Besides, I have backup of my own."

Garnet's smile faltered, then her head snapped towards the entrance. An instant later, there was a loud crash.

Onyx grinned at her. "Didn't see that coming, did you?"

* * *

Bismuth and Pearl continued to sprint out of the tunnel. "Are you sure Garnet will be fine?" Pearl asked.

"Don't worry, she knows what she's doing," Bismuth said with her usual confident expression.

They finally made it to the end of the tunnel and turned the corner. However, what they saw made them stop in their tracks. Where the passage to the Warp Pad had once been was now a pile of boulders blocking the way.

"Going somewhere?" They turned around at the gruff voice to see Jasper standing there, a fierce grin on her face and her crash helmet on her head.

"I know you," Bismuth said, gritting her teeth. "You were at the Beta Kindergarten. So you've joined Short, Pale, and Angry's little gang?"

"That I have," Jasper said, putting her fists up. "I too remember squashing you into a pulp. But this time, there's nothing stopping me from crushing you under my foot!"

"Think again!" Pearl shouted, drawing her spear. "You need to get lost!"

Jasper stared at Pearl and laughed. "You're that defective Pearl I've heard so much about. You're not as terrifying as I've been led to believe."

"I'm full of surprises," Pearl said.

"Alright, I've had enough banter," Jasper said. "Give me the Prism _now_."

"Not gonna happen," Bismuth said, forming her hands into hammers.

Jasper pounded her fist into the palm of her hand. "Then what I'm about to do is all your fault!"

* * *

Onyx ducked behind another workbench and fired a fully charged laser at Garnet. The Fusion deflected the blast with a simple backhand. They both ducked behind cover when the laser hit a rack full of weapons, scattering various sharp objects all over the place.

Suddenly, Garnet was lifted off the ground. Holding her above their head were the Rubies, now fused into one big Ruby.

"Stop ignoring meeee!" Ruby shouted. Onyx took advantage of the distraction, charging his cannon again. Garnet got her foot loose from Ruby's hand and kicked her in the face. Ruby staggered back, dropping Garnet on the ground. The Crystal Gem then grabbed Ruby by the foot, spinning around and throwing her into Onyx. The two fell into a heap, Onyx's charged shot blasting into a wall and kicking up dust.

"This is getting us nowhere," Onyx said. "I haven't even had time to start a new audio log."

"You're telling me," Ruby said. "Wait, what was that last part?"

"Unimportant," Onyx said. "Try keeping close to her while I keep the pressure on from a distance. She can't predict both our futures at once."

"Got it!" At this, Ruby jumped off her commanding officer and charged again. She summoned her own gauntlets to combat Garnet's. She threw a punch, which Garnet countered with one of her own. Then another. Then another. Soon, the two Fusions were engaged in a flurry of punches, each one faster than the other.

Onyx raised a hand to his arm cannon and mentally activated his audio recorder.

"Research Log Entry 5. Today, I am presented with a rare opportunity to observe directly the difference in power between a cross-Gem Fusion and a same-Gem Fusion. My three Rubies have fused and engaged in close combat with Garnet. As of right now, they are evenly matched, though that may be –"

He jumped to the side as the Rubies flew through the space he had once occupied, crashing into the wall.

"…subject to change," he finished. Almost as soon as she was tossed aside, Ruby was back on her feet and charging into battle yet again. Onyx raised his arm cannon and shot at Garnet. However, even as she deflected another blow from Ruby, Garnet turned around and absorbed the blast with her open palm.

"My Photon Cannon continues to have no effect on Garnet," Onyx remarked, strafing around the square-haired pair as they dueled. "In training exercises, my attacks could easily dispel the Rubies' gauntlets, and yet Garnet's hold strong."

He raised his arm cannon, opting for a barrage of uncharged shots at Garnet's back instead. Right as he pulled the trigger, Garnet caught Ruby's arms and turned around. The shots bored into Ruby, the soldier screaming in pain and falling from Garnet's grip. Even before Ruby hit the floor, Garnet was dashing forward with an arm outstretched. Onyx couldn't even react as the Fusion grabbed him by the face and tossed him around. For the second time, Onyx and Ruby were in a heap on the ground.

Garnet gritted her teeth, bringing her fists together and charging them with electricity. When they were glowing white with energy, she smashed the ground. Arcs of lightning raced across the ground and filled Ruby and Onyx with energy. The two of them shook for several seconds before getting flung across the room into another workbench. Ruby split apart in midair, her three counterparts joining Onyx in a pile of stray weapons.

Ruby 1 poked her head out of the pile and spat out a knife. "What the heck was that?"

Ruby 2 pulled a handful of throwing needles out of her hair. "We got our butts handed to us, that's what."

Ruby 4 began picking her teeth with the spikes on a ball and chain.

Onyx's fist burst out of the pile, followed closely by the rest of him. Purple lightning coursed through his entire body. The Rubies stared at him as he glowed.

"Whoa," Ruby 1 said. "You okay there, boss?"

"I… am… fine!" Onyx said. His voice came out garbled, filled with static. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. The Rubies watched as the electricity redirected itself, absorbed into Onyx's rectangular gemstone and causing it to glow a bright purple.

[EXCESS ENERGY SUCCESSFULLY ABSORBED. POWER AT 160% CAPACITY.]

Garnet watched them with curious amusement.

"Are you going to do that huge Megalaser?!" Ruby 2 shouted excitedly.

"I can't," Onyx said. "We're in an active volcano. If I go blasting holes in the walls, I could trigger a chain reaction and cause an eruption. Unless you want to drown in a river of molten lava, I suggest we come up with something else."

"Technically, I would be fine," Garnet interjected. "You guys would be in big trouble, though."

Ruby 4 looked at her in confusion. "How come she isn't attacking us?"

"She must see something we don't," Onyx said. "I should have guessed my strategy wouldn't work. Instead of seeing her opponent's future, she looks into her own future and bases her strategy on which possible outcome leads to her victory."

"Soooo… what do we do?" Ruby 1 asked.

Onyx thought carefully. "I have an idea, but I need you three to keep Garnet occupied while I prepare it. Can you manage that?"

Ruby 1 raised her arm and flexed her muscles. "Guys, it's time for Operation Splitting Headache!"

"Which one was that, again?" Ruby 2 asked.

"Wasn't that the one where we tell Onyx bad jokes all day?" Ruby 4 asked.

Ruby 1 sighed and just held out her hand. The other two took it. In a flash of light, the Fusion Ruby had appeared in the middle of their huddle. Her eyes widened in understanding.

"Ohhh, now I get it!" she shouted. She leapt out of the pile of weapons and charged into battle once more. Onyx vaulted over an overturned workbench and put his back to the action. From behind cover, he held up his right hand and summoned his Photon Cannon. It began whirring and clicking, pieces of it moving in and out and glowing at intervals.

Meanwhile, Ruby held her fist up and Garnet grinned as she held up her own. Just as Ruby threw a punch, there was a flash of red light. Suddenly, the three Rubies were split apart again, and Garnet's punch passed through empty air. Ruby 1 leapt onto Garnet's outstretched ar and punched her in the face. Ruby 2 jumped on Garnet's foot. Ruby 4 slid under Garnet's legs, turned around, and literally kicked her butt.

Garnet groaned in frustration and spun around. The three Rubies were sent flying in different directions. When they landed, Ruby 1 turned to Ruby 4 in confusion.

"That wasn't part of the plan!" she shouted.

"Sorry," Ruby 4 said, smiling innocently.

From behind cover, Onyx continued to ignore the Rubies' banter and focused on his task. His arm cannon was fluctuating, panels opening and closing as he reshaped it.

* * *

Outside, Jasper was having much more success with her own battle.

Jasper sidestepped Pearl's spear thrust, grabbing the weapon in one hand and threw it into the wall with Pearl still holding on. She stumbled forward as Bismuth put her in a headlock from behind. Pearl stood up and pointed her spear at Jasper. The tip of the blade began glowing with heat. Jasper growled and threw her head back, smacking the blacksmith in the face. She quickly lowered her head once out of Bismuth's grip, allowing her crash helmet to absorb the impact from Pearl's fireball attack.

"When will you worthless dirt mounds ever learn?" Jasper asked as she stalked up to Pearl and fixed her gaze with a fierce glare. Pearl recoiled from the look in Jasper's eyes. There was only one word to describe it: _hungry_.

Pearl was so distracted by Jasper's intimidation tactics that she failed to retaliate when the soldier lifted her by her throat.

"You're _nothing_ compared to me!" Jasper shouted.

She turned around and threw Pearl off the cliff.

"PEARL!" Bismuth shouted, running to the edge and watching her friend fall.

Thinking quickly, Pearl turned herself around in midair and thrust her spear into the rock. She slid down a few more feet, carving a deep gash in the cliff. Then she came to a sudden stop. Pearl had to stop herself from looking down as a few pebbles fell past her and disappeared into the forest below.

"I'm okay!" Pearl called back.

Bismuth sighed in relief. Then the sigh was abruptly cut off as she was kicked off the ledge.

"I thought you learned your lesson from last time," Jasper said as she watched Bismuth fall. "Watch your back."

Jasper was thrown back as Bismuth's outstretched fist delivered a fierce uppercut to her chin. As the big-haired soldier stumbled back, Bismuth's hand took hold of the cliff and the blacksmith pulled herself back onto solid ground.

"Do you _ever_ shut up?" Bismuth asked as she formed her hands back into hammers.

"You stupid little…" Jasper said with a hand to her face. "That _really hurt!_ "

Jasper took her hand away from her face. Her eyes were filled with a wild fury as she charged headfirst at Bismuth. The blacksmith wound up and delivered a backhanded strike at Jasper just before she was hit. Jasper was flung onto her side, sliding across the ground as her helmet dissipated. Jasper rolled onto her back with a groan. Bismuth leapt at her opponent, not even giving her a chance to try to get up. Bismuth held her hammers above her head and brought them down. Jasper barely managed to catch the hands-turned-weapons. There was a resounding _boom_ as cracks formed on the ground underneath Jasper.

"Why?!" Bismuth shouted. "Why would you follow someone like Onyx?"

Jasper laughed, her hands shaking as she held up Bismuth's hammers. "It's funny, actually. When I'm around him I get more opportunities to fight strong opponents than most ever get from what I hear."

Jasper threw Bismuth off and landed on top of her. Suddenly the roles had been reversed.

"But you are definitely not one of them, clod," Jasper said.

"Don't move!"

Bismuth and Jasper turned their heads to see Pearl, breathing hard and standing by the edge of the cliff.

Held above her head was the Light Prism.

"I'm warning you," she said. "One false move and I'll activate it! Even you can't stand up to an army of light!"

Jasper stared into Pearl's eyes, evaluating her sincerity. Bismuth watched Pearl, also wondering if her friend was brilliant or just plain crazy. They remained that way for some time, staring at each other in a perpetual stalemate.

Finally, Jasper sighed and stood up, planting a foot on Bismuth's chest right where her gemstone was.

"You don't know how to use that," Jasper said.

Realizing her bluff had been called, Pearl looked from Jasper to the Prism. Then she threw the deadly weapon at Jasper's face.

Jasper staggered backwards, just stopping herself before she could fall off the cliff. The Prism had struck her right on her gemstone in the middle of her face. Bismuth quickly stood up and moved to pick up the Prism.

She stopped.

The Prism was shaking and clattering against the ground.

"That's not good," she said.

* * *

Garnet threw another punch at the Ruby Fusion but was once again met with empty space as the three Rubies split apart. Immediately, they ran around their opponent and reformed, punching her in the back. Garnet turned around, using the momentum for a roundhouse kick that caught Ruby in the side of her head. Ruby was thrown on her side, getting on her hands and knees as Garnet slowly walked up to her.

"Any time now, boss!" Ruby called. Garnet picked up Ruby by the back of her shirt, fist raised.

Then they both turned their heads at the sound of Onyx's war cry behind Garnet.

Onyx ran up to Garnet and raised his glowing arm cannon. He swiped it across her back and Garnet began shouting in pain. She dropped Ruby as purple electricity flew across her body. Finally, the lightning faded and she fell to the ground.

Onyx held up his arm cannon, holding it with his free hand to steady it because it was shaking subtly. Its shape had changed, becoming much wider closer to his elbow. The barrel had split apart at the tip into four prongs. Between these prongs, a long blade of purple light filled with electricity was extended straight outward.

"What the heck?!" Ruby shouted. "What was that?!"

"I thought about calling it the 'Wave Buster,'" Onyx said. "The name just came to me as I readied the attack."

"How did you do that?" Ruby demanded.

"Oh, I restructured the energy output systems at the base of my Photon Cannon to construct a blade of lightning powered by the excess electrical energy from Garnet's attack." Onyx shrugged. "It was quite simple, really."

"When did you learn to do that?!" Ruby asked, clearly impressed.

"Just now," Onyx said.

Before their conversation could continue, Onyx was thrown onto his back by an uppercut.

Garnet was standing, knees wobbly and breathing heavily. She had been down, but not out.

"Is that… the best you can do?" she asked.

Onyx stood up. A message scrolled across his vision.

[CAUTION. POWER AT 90% CAPACITY AND DROPPING FAST.]

Onyx gritted his teeth. He needed to finish this battle fast. His new lightning blade was consuming his energy quicker than he had anticipated. He made a clumsy overhead strike, which Garnet easily caught with her gauntlet. She winced as electricity creeped up her hand.

She raised her other hand and caught Ruby's gauntlet. The Homeworld solider had attempted a sneak attack at the gash in Garnet's back made by Onyx's attack. They stood there, unable to move lest they let their opponent gain the upper hand.

[POWER AT 70% CAPACITY.]

They all suddenly fell to the floor as the room rumbled around them. Onyx quickly dispelled his arm cannon and looked up. Ruby shouted in shock as a pebble from the ceiling smacked into her head.

"Oh no," Garnet said.

This was all she could manage to say before the wall next to the entrance tunnel exploded.

Onyx ran behind cover again with Ruby close behind. When the dust settled, he finally managed to get a good look at the source of the explosion.

Standing in a massive hole in the wall was a golem made of pure white light. Veins of red energy coursed from a central eye across its entire body. At the center of this eye was the Light Prism, glowing fiercely.

The monster roared, holding out its massive hand. A hole opened in its palm and it began firing energy balls all over the room. Suddenly, the magma flow at the back of the room began to expand, new magma flows bursting from the wall next to it.

"Garnet!" they all turned to see Pearl running in, Bismuth close behind. The Prism looked in their direction and pointed its other hand at them. Bismuth tackled Pearl to the ground as another energy ball flew over their heads.

"My forge!" Bismuth shouted.

"Forget about that!" Garnet shouted, "We need to get out of here! This whole place is going up in smoke!"

As the Crystal Gems made their escape, Onyx and Ruby took that as their cue to leave as well. However, the moment they stood to move, they immediately had to crouch back down to avoid another shot from the White Light.

"What now?!" Ruby shouted.

"I'll distract it, you get Jasper and start running back to the Red Temple!" Onyx said, reforming his Photon Cannon.

"But what about you?" Ruby asked.

"I'll catch up, just go!" Onyx said.

Ruby hesitated, then nodded. Onyx vaulted over the workbench they were using for cover. Ruby made a mad dash for the exit, weaving between debris falling from the ceiling. The White Light began turning towards her.

"Hey! Pay attention!" Onyx shouted. He raised his Photon Cannon and let loose a few laser shots. They pinged harmlessly against the golem's body, but it was enough to get its attention. Onyx was almost in front of the monster now. The White Light raised its arm to fire at Onyx. However, another rumble in the earth caused it to stumble. Onyx nearly tripped and fell, but somehow managed to keep his footing. He flicked his arm cannon, forming his Wave Buster again.

He shouted and thrust his blade into the Prism.

The golem made a sound similar to screaming as lightning coursed through its veins. It began rapidly changing color into every portion of the rainbow, paralyzed in place.

[POWER AT 50%.]

Onyx didn't stick around to see how much longer the White Light would be incapacitated for. He turned and ran right outside.

Once at the entrance to the tunnel, he looked around. He saw Ruby helping Jasper to her feet.

"We're never gonna make it back to the Red Temple in time!" Ruby shouted.

Onyx looked in the other direction. The Warp Pad was uncovered and the Crystal Gems were nowhere to be found. Even as he had this thought, there was another rumble, this one bigger than the others. The ceiling over the path began to cave in, crushing the Warp Pad with a loud crackling sound.

"Take my hand!" Onyx said, stumbling forward. Without even hesitating, Ruby and Jasper each took one of Onyx's hands. Onyx looked down over the edge of the cliff. He took a deep breath and jumped.

He tuned out the angered cries of Jasper and the panicked screaming of Ruby, focusing on one thing. There was a loud roar as the rockets in his feet activated. He could feel the strain of carrying more than the usual load.

They stopped in midair, locks of Jasper's hair brushing against the ground. Then they began to rise rapidly into the air.

He flew around the volcano, watching as massive fireballs were shot out of the smoking crater. Finally, the Red Temple came into view. He could just make out the entrance from this distance. The Warp Pad would be just inside.

His rocket boots began to sputter. He nearly dropped his still screaming passengers.

[WARNING. POWER AT 25%.]

Onyx gritted his teeth and increased his speed, flying around to the temple entrance. Dodging and weaving between pieces of tephra raining down from the volcano above, he flew right through the entrance to the temple.

The three of them were embedded in the wall with a resounding _CRASH!_

They sat there and watched as glowing orange boulders landed in front of the entrance to the Red Temple, blocking all passage in or out.

Jasper sighed. She was the first to peel herself off the wall and leave a distinct burly impression. Ruby quickly followed and split apart.

"That was terrifying!" Ruby 1 shouted.

"That was insane!" Ruby 2 responded.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Ruby 4 finished.

"YEAH!" the other two agreed.

Onyx looked meaningfully at Jasper, who was staring at the ground with an unreadable expression. "Are you alright there, soldier?" he asked.

Jasper glared right into his eyes. "Never. Do that. To me. _Again._ "

Onyx nodded. "I make no promises."

"Come on, let's go home!" Ruby 1 said, leading her two twins to the Warp Pad.

"Yeah, can't wait to tell Pink Diamond all the fun we had!" Ruby 2 said.

"Can we take back one of the lava rocks as a souvenir?" Ruby 4 asked.

Jasper looked Onyx up and down. He was still embedded in the wall.

"You coming?" she asked.

"About that," Onyx said. "I need you to carry me back."

"Why?" Jasper asked.

[POWER AT 5%.]

"I don't have enough energy to extract myself from this wall," he explained.

Jasper rolled her eyes. "Fine."

* * *

 **A/N: I hope nobody minds all the time skips I keep putting at the beginning of chapters. The things is, most of the war involves samey battles after samey battles. This story is mainly a highlight reel of sorts.**

 **In response to the reviewer ARSLOTHES, I made it clear in the last chapter that this is an AU. The aspect of being will not be covered, as they are two separate characters here.**

 **In response to guest reviewer Shade (seriously, dude, just get your own account if you're going to be posting here so often), I have to admit I'm not that great at writing romance. Besides, Onyx isn't really the kind of guy to get interested in love.**

 **Onyx learned himself a new technique, the Wave Buster! This is named after a special technique involving the Wave Beam in Metroid Prime, though in that game it functioned more as a homing lightning laser of death rather than a blade.**

 **Fun fact: Barren Island isn't something I just made up. It's the location of India's only active volcano. I figured since the one forge we actually see in the show is in a volcano, I'd put one here. There wasn't much data on the Red Temple on the SU wiki, so I just decided to have it be there.**

 **My love goes out to all you folks who suffered through that polar vortex in the midwestern US over the past week. Over here in Kalamazoo, we got as low as -5. It was crazy. I'll try to keep updates to a weekly basis, uploading around every weekend. Anyway, sorry this Author's Note is so long, be sure to leave your thoughts in a review and I hope you're enjoying the story so far.**


	11. And Seeing Nothing

Onyx always thought himself a rational being.

As demonstrated many times throughout the centuries, Onyx always made the most logical choice before anything else. It was what he considered his best quality.

His worst quality was when he broke away from that tendency of logic and reason.

* * *

Peridot Facet 2F5L Cut 7AI was many things. She was Yellow Diamond's Head of Technology. She was the Overseer of many classified projects, including the Titanium Project. She was described by many (including herself) to be one of the sharpest minds in the galaxy.

What she was not was a patient Gem.

"I put rockets in your feet!" she shouted at the mechanical form spread out on the table. "What more do you want?"

It was time for Onyx's annual maintenance session. During this time, Peridot would collect data on his performance, repair any parts that needed it, and make plans for any future upgrades. This particular checkup was occurring a bit early this year due to the newfound weapon Onyx had crafted for himself. The "Wave Buster" as he called it was undeniably powerful. It could cut through most solid material with ease and transmitted a massive amount of electricity to whatever it sliced. Because of this, it taxed Onyx's power reserves _very_ quickly. Onyx had turned to Peridot for assistance in this matter.

"A more efficient energy distribution system would be nice," he said. "How can it be that I run out of power if my gemstone can generate an infinite amount?"

Peridot sighed and began pulling up holographic screens out of the sides of the table. Diagrams showing Onyx's structure and various other data was displayed, though Onyx found it difficult to read them from behind due to the words being mirrored.

"Theoretically, a Gem's gemstone can generate an infinite amount of power," Peridot conceded, "but not all at once. Due to the amount of raw energy required to power up your 'Wave Buster,' you drain power from your systems faster than your gemstone can generate it. This puts you at risk of disabling vital systems and even triggering an emergency shutdown, thus leaving you helpless."

Onyx recalled a memory in which Jasper had to carry him on his shoulder while "bashing heads" as she called it. As well as the time the Rubies carried out "Operation Marionette," wherein they would move his limbs in entertaining ways.

Good times.

"Where did that name come from, anyway?" Peridot asked, snapping Onyx out of his reminiscing.

"I reconfigured my Photon Cannon to fire at a different wavelength, thus where the word 'Wave' came from," Onyx explained.

"And how about 'Buster?'" Peridot asked.

Onyx shrugged. "It sounded 'cool,' as the Amethysts say."

Peridot shook her head. "I have never understood why they use such unrefined language."

Onyx raised his head. "So you can find a solution to my energy consumption problem?"

Peridot hummed thoughtfully. "Barring attaching a reserve tank full of extra energy to your back, I suppose I could rewire your circuitry to carry energy from you gemstone to other areas of your body at a much faster rate. The problem is how slow your gemstone itself is capable of generating said energy."

"What do you mean?" Onyx asked.

"Due to the fact that you were pulled from the ground before you were fully charged on life energy, you aren't capable of generating as much energy as 'full' Gems," Peridot elaborated. "However, integrating a 'full Gem' into the Titanium Frame would more than likely overload the it and cause it to not operate properly."

Onyx nodded. "I see." He leaned his head back on the table. They were silent for a long while as Peridot continued gathering data and planning her work. Feeling an odd sense of tension, Onyx decided to speak up.

"What other projects are you busy with?" he asked.

"Most of them are highly confidential," she said.

"How about the ones that are not highly confidential?" Onyx asked.

Peridot was beginning to glare at him. "Why do you want to know?"

"I concern myself with knowing as much as possible," he said. "And I am trying to engage in small talk. Pink Diamond tells me I should do it more often."

"Well, I'm not one to tell you to disobey a direct order from your Diamond," Peridot replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"I imagine you have little time for such trivial activities back on Homeworld," Onyx said. Then something occurred to him. "How is Homeworld in the present day, anyway?"

"I wouldn't know," Peridot said. "I haven't been there in centuries."

Onyx looked up again. "What? You are Yellow Diamond's Head of Technology and you haven't been to Homeworld in centuries?"

"Keep your head down," Peridot said, and Onyx obliged.

"Where have you been if not Homeworld?" he asked.

"Here," she said. "In this Kindergarten. Working."

"On what?" Onyx asked. He didn't even have to look at Peridot to know she was giving him an annoyed look. "Right, classified."

"I was ordered to stay here," she said. "Officially it was a precautionary measure to keep an eye on you."

"I see," Onyx said. "But you are still kept busy with your secret projects, I presume."

Peridot stopped walking around the table and sighed. "I must admit, most of them are personal projects. Half-baked ideas of mine turned into fully realized experiments." Her head suddenly snapped up, a glimmer of realization in her eye. "I think I know how to solve your little energy problem."

"Is that so?" Onyx asked, looking up again.

"Head down!" Peridot shouted. "Yes, I just need a new material for your energy distribution tubes." She pointed at the tubes bent into the shape of a ribcage connected to the port with his gemstone in it.

"Excellent," Onyx said.

"However," Peridot said, "when I am finished… there is one project I am working on that might interest you. If you would be willing to see it."

Onyx smiled. "It sounds like a good idea."

* * *

"Okay, one more time!" Ruby 2 said.

"Commencing Operation Triple Juggle Trouble!" Ruby 1 said.

"Woohoo!" Ruby 4 shouted.

Jasper grinned and bent down to pick up the Rubies in her arms. She then proceeded to juggle them above her head. The Rubies spun through the air, flying past each other as Jasper only ever had one Ruby in a hand at a time.

"Weeeee!" Ruby 4 screamed in delight.

"Nice job, Jasper!" Ruby 1 said. "We're going 4 seconds longer than last time!"

Jasper merely grunted in response, sweat trickling down her forehead as she concentrated entirely on her task. This was only the third time they had tried Operation Triple Juggle Trouble. Before, they had merely tasked themselves with drawing shapes in the dry dark dust of the Prime Kindergarten and guessing what they were (they had decided to stop after Ruby 4 made a drawing of Onyx with steam coming out of the corners of his mouth in anger when Onyx saw what they were doing and recreated the image perfectly). Today had been nothing but waiting for them. They had to wait for Onyx to finish speaking with Peridot about his checkup, and now they had to wait for Onyx to actually come out of the checkup. Their previous attempts at juggling had resulted in Ruby 4's head being buried in one of the Kindergarten's walls and Ruby 2 being flung so high up into the air that they had to wait 10 minutes for her to come back down.

"Okay, I've got a good rhythm going," Jasper said. "Let's switch things up a bit."

"What are you – whoa!" Ruby 2 made her exclamation of shock just as Jasper caught her in one hand. She was now upside down, stiff as a board as she watched Jasper juggle the other two Rubies with her other hand.

"Alright!" Ruby 1 shouted.

"Having fun, are we?"

Jasper yelled in shock and dropped all three Rubies as she stood at attention. The Rubies also stood at attention, though Ruby 1 and 4 were upside down and on her side respectively.

Onyx had an amused look on his face. Peridot was standing next to him and had her arms crossed. She stared with disapproval with her one eye and had an eye brow raised above her gemstone.

"Uh… how long were you watching?" Jasper asked.

"Long enough," Onyx said, walking up and patting Jasper on the back, "to see that your hand-eye coordination has improved greatly thanks to this training exercise."

"We weren't –"

"Yeah!" Ruby 1 shouted, cutting off Ruby 4 before she could incriminate them any further. "We were really working hard at it!"

"I can tell," Onyx said.

"This is all very amusing," Peridot said, "but can we please get moving already? I'm a very busy Gem and I don't have much time."

"We?" Jasper asked.

"Peridot is graciously allowing us to see one of her personal projects," Onyx said. "A fully Gem-made island."

* * *

Topaz continued staring at the screens displaying images of brightly lit cells. It was a boring job, but Topazes were known for their exceptional fortitude and patience. Any other Gem would probably be spinning around in their chair by now just to ease the boredom. Topaz, on the other hand, just continued staring, her eyes switching from screen to screen being the only movement on her entire body.

The images each screen showed were mostly the same. Gems pacing their cells, sitting in a corner, staring at a wall, etc. There was, however, one image that was different from the others. Whereas the other cells were brightly lit, this one was a dark blue save for a bright orange humanoid figure in the very center of the room. The camera was using thermal imaging to view the subject in this cell.

Topaz stared at this screen for a bit longer. She didn't know the full details of what exactly these Gems were doing here locked up in their solitary rooms. But Topazes were also known for not asking too many questions, so it didn't bother her much.

Suddenly, right before her eyes, the orange splotch on the screen disappeared. Topaz blinked in shock. One moment, the subject had been there and the next it was gone.

Topaz reached into the gemstone on the side of her head and turned on the intercom. "All available security personnel be advised, subject 1B30 has disappeared from her cell. We have lost visual contact. All units report to her cell immediately." Topaz pulled out her pugil stick, running out the door. There weren't many security personnel on hand, as most of them were Kindergarten workers by day. She would have to investigate this strange phenomenon herself for now.

Topaz ran down the hall. The cell observed through thermal imaging was not too far from the main security room. She looked through the small viewing window in the door. As suspected, she could see nothing in the room. She placed a hand on the terminal next to the cell and the door slid open.

Topaz gripped her weapon tightly. She stood in the doorway, looking around the cell. It was completely empty, just a square room with nowhere to hide.

She took a step inside.

The door slid shut behind her.

Topaz spun around and pounded on the door with her pugil stick. She stared through the viewing window but saw nothing. Suddenly, for the briefest of moments, she saw the outline of a person staring back. Then it was gone.

Topaz's weapon disappeared and she began pounding on the door with her fists. She screamed, though it would do her no good. All the cells in the facility were soundproofed.

* * *

"There's not room for all of us," Peridot pointed out.

They were staring at the Warp Pad. Peridot was right. The three Rubies and Jasper would have managed to fit on the device, though it would have been a tight squeeze. As it was, Peridot and Onyx would have no room.

"Oh wait! I got an idea!" Ruby 1 shouted. "Operation Triple Totem!"

"Good idea!" Ruby 2 agreed. Suddenly, she jumped on Ruby 4's shoulders, squishing her cubic afro into her head. Ruby 4 grabbed Ruby 2's legs tightly as Ruby 1 repeated the process to make a three-person totem.

"Not bad," Jasper said, nodding. "But I can do you one better."

She bent down and picked up the Ruby Totem from the bottom. They wobbled a bit but steadied themselves out when Jasper placed Ruby 4 on her shoulders. Jasper stepped onto the Warp Pad, closely followed by Onyx and Peridot. Now all of them could fit with room to spare.

"Excellent job, you four," Onyx said. "Now, if you would be so kind, Peridot?"

"It would be my pleasure," the scientist replied. In an instant, they were all surrounded by bright blue light and flew straight up into the air. The Rubies laughed excitedly as they began floating off of Jasper's shoulders. The burly solider sighed and began swimming up through space in an attempt to catch them.

The blue light faded and all four of them crashed to the ground in a heap.

"These are the best you could find for your Task Force?" Peridot asked, watching with disdain as they tried to pick themselves up.

"They are much more proficient on the battlefield than they are in everyday life," Onyx admitted.

"Whoa," Ruby 1 said, climbing out of the pile. "Where are we?"

"Welcome to my very own synthetic island," Peridot said. "Mask Island."

The ground was covered in sand, though it seemed paler than sand Onyx saw elsewhere. Palm trees leaned over the path, sunlight filtering through the leaves. Tangled vines and bushes dotted the sides of the path. In the distance, they could hear the sounds of the ocean.

"You _made_ this island?" Onyx asked, picking up some of the sand in his hands. "How?"

"Oh, I just borrowed a bit of debris from the Bedrock trial run and planted it here," Peridot said as if this was as easy as picking up box and carrying it to another room.

"Why do you call it Mask…" Jasper trailed off when she noticed a lizard crawling up one of the palm trees. It turned its head toward her and she stared at it. The reptile's face looked like a flat surface with a smiling mouth and a pair of eyes engraved into it.

"That would be why," Peridot said. She began walking down the sandy path with the others following behind. "I planted several Aqua Geodes around this island to purify the ocean water for use in my experiments. Of course, some of the water was inevitably consumed by the wildlife I added here."

"Why did you add all these animals in the first place?" Ruby 1 asked, noticing a large worm crawling across the path ahead of them.

"When plant life began cropping up on the island, I had to add animals to balance out the ecosystem," Peridot explained. "At any rate, drinking the purified water caused them to be genetically altered over time and accumulate… mutations."

"Hence the appearances of masked faces," Onyx said, crouching down and picking up a spider on one finger. It too had a masked face, this one on its abdomen. "It's not unlike how some smaller creatures have markings like eyes on their body to scare away predators."

"As far as I can tell, these mutations are benign," Peridot said. "The fish in the surrounding ocean have changed appearance as well."

Onyx placed the spider back on the ground. Then he frowned. He looked up. He saw the Warp Pad and the footprints in the path they had left behind.

"Onyx!" Onyx turned around and saw Jasper waving him along. Peridot was giving him an impatient look while the Rubies were merely humming to themselves.

"What's the holdup?" Jasper asked. "Let's go already!"

"Apologies," Onyx said, rising to a standing position. "I was getting caught up in my own thoughts."

* * *

"Whoa," Ruby 1 said. "Look at all that water!"

What appeared to be infinite ocean stretched out in front of them at the water's edge. As they watched, one of the fish Peridot had earlier mentioned leaped out of the water to grin at them.

Jasper shrugged. "It's just water. Nothing exceptional."

"But there's just _so much_ of it!" Ruby 2 said. "Could you imagine living there? Walking around on the bottom of the ocean with all those fish?"

"Sounds pretty boring," Jasper said.

"Well, you know what they say," Ruby 4 said. "The seaweed is always greener in somebody else's lake."

Jasper gave Ruby 4 a confused look. "I don't think you're remembering that phrase right."

Onyx turned away from the ocean to look at the rest of the island behind them. A small mountain formed from the Aqua Geodes dominated the center of the artificial landmass. Waterfalls cascaded from several openings in the mountains, more than likely a result of the purification process. Many more geodes, smaller than the mountainous ones, were scattered throughout the trees, reflecting the sunlight.

Onyx frowned again and looked at the sand where their footprints still were. There was no wind, so they remained untouched.

There was a loud beeping sound and Peridot frowned, pulling up one of her screens. She briefly adopted a shocked expression before instantly reverting to her default look of bored annoyance. "Ahem, I think I've wasted enough time here," she said. "Our tour is over. One of my projects needs attention."

"Aw, man," Ruby 1 said as everyone turned to walk back to the Warp Pad. "But we just got here!"

"Come on," Ruby 4 said. "At least try to... _mask_ your disappointment."

"That's it!" Ruby 2 shouted.

"All of you stop moving right now," Onyx said. At his words, Peridot and Jasper stopped walking and the Rubies froze, Ruby 2's fist held awkwardly in the air in the middle of her windup.

"What's up?" Jasper asked.

"Show me the bottoms of your feet," he said.

"What is the point of this exactly?" Peridot said, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Just do it," he said. The others obliged, though Peridot did so with a scoff. Onyx scanned them all, memorizing the exact patterns. He turned back to the footprints in the sand, matching the feet to their corresponding prints. The ground closer to the water was damp, lending itself to very distinct marks. There was the deep indentations of his own feet, circles in the middle representing the rockets on them. Jasper's was the biggest print of all, of course. There were three pairs of the Rubies' little shoes. The geometric smooth print of Peridot's limb enhancers.

"Ruby 2," Onyx said. "How many are in our company right now?"

"Can we put our feet down now?" Ruby 2 asked.

"Yes," Onyx said with a sigh.

While the others put their feet down, Ruby 2 pointed at every other member of the PDETF and Peridot. "There's… five of us."

"You're forgetting something," Onyx said.

Ruby 2 looked confused for a minute, then had a look of realization. She pointed at herself. "Six!"

"Very good," Onyx said. "But that's not all. It is true that there are six in our company." He turned to the others. "So can anyone tell me how it is we're leaving behind seven sets of footprints?"

Jasper's eyes widened. "Someone's following us?"

"Correct," Onyx said, summoning his Photon Cannon.

"Oh my stars," Peridot said in shock. "It's here."

"What?" Onyx asked. However, he never got an answer. Just as Peridot looked at him and opened her mouth to elaborate, Onyx felt his face get smacked aside by an unseen force.

Onyx looked around wildly. Then he was thrown onto his back by what felt like an uppercut.

"Boss, what are you doing?" Ruby 1 asked. Right as she took a step forward, she folded in on herself from an invisible kick.

"All of you, stand back to back!" Onyx shouted. They all obliged, summoning their respective weapons in the process. Onyx scrambled to his feet to join them, but was forced back to the ground by their foe.

"How did you escape?!" Peridot demanded, firing a green energy orb from her arm cannon. The orb flew directly above Onyx and impacted the ocean in an explosion of water. Onyx leapt to his feet and stood with the others, right between Jasper and Peridot.

"You know what we're dealing with?" Onyx asked, not taking his eyes off the surrounding area.

"One of those personal projects I mentioned earlier," Peridot said, another energy orb primed on her arm. "Trying to develop a new breed of stealth operatives. Use thermal imaging to track her."

Onyx nodded. A Gem's physical form didn't usually give off the same level of heat that most mammalian creatures did, but it was still distinct. Onyx focused. In an instant, his view of the world changed. Instead of the light of the sun, the island was now mostly dark blues and greens. There was their invisible attacker. Her silhouette was smaller than the average Gem, a bit shorter than Onyx and much thinner.

In an instant, the orange and yellow silhouette representing their opponent vanished.

"It's turned off its heat signature," Onyx said.

"What?!" Peridot shouted in shock. In the moment she turned to give Onyx a confused glance, more footprints appeared in the sand running right up to her. Peridot was then lifted into the air and thrown aside, impacting a tree face-first.

"Gotcha!" Jasper shouted, grabbing at the place where the invisible Gem was. However, she stumbled forward as she took hold of nothing but empty air. Then she stumbled back as she was punched in the abdomen.

"Operation Hot Mess!" Ruby 1 shouted. All three Rubies dove at the spot where the invisible Gem supposedly was, landing in a heap and a cloud of sand.

"Did we get her?" Ruby 2 asked.

One by one, the Rubies flew into the ocean, each disappearing into the waves with a splash and a cloud of steam.

Jasper put up her fists and stood next to Onyx. "How are we supposed to fight something we can't even see?!" she demanded through gritted teeth.

"We watch carefully," he responded. He held up his Photon Cannon. "Listen up. I don't know who you are but know that you are not leaving this island without us taking you. Come quietly or there will be… trouble."

Jasper and Onyx continued looking around, but they could see no sign of their quarry. No telltale footprints, no puff of sand, nothing.

"It's not moving," Jasper realized.

"Why is it following us?" Onyx asked.

"What?"

"Think about it, Jasper," he replied. "It must have hitched a ride in our warp to the island. It could have easily stayed hidden and waited for us to leave. By the time Peridot returned and realized her pet project was missing, this invisible Gem would be nigh untraceable. So why did it draw our attention? Why did it follow us? What do we have that it wants?"

A groaning caused them both to snap their attention to Peridot, who was rising to a sitting position with a hand rubbing tenderly at the gemstone in her eye. Just as she did, there was a splash in the water, followed by wet footprints materializing from nowhere. Thinking quickly, Onyx calculated the invisible Gem's trajectory, speed, and approximate size in less than a second.

He fired an uncharged shot from the Photon Cannon. The laser hit a point in thin air, followed quickly by a grunt of pain and a loud impact in the grass closer to the tree line.

"Nice shot!" Jasper said.

"After it, now!" Onyx shouted. Jasper charged forward, growling in challenge.

For the briefest moment, Onyx thought he saw something. A translucent outline of a figure and a gemstone hovering above the ground. Conical, various shades of blue. Then in the next instant, the outline disappeared. The bushes rustled as the invisible Gem pushed their way through. Jasper peered through the trees, then yelled in frustration.

"We almost had it!" she shouted. She punched the tree nearest her to vent anger. The tree responded by toppling over with a loud _crash_!

"We need to pursue, we can't let it get to the Warp Pad," Onyx said. "Once it leaves the island, we'll have no way of knowing where it went."

"There is no danger of that," Peridot said, rising to a standing position. "The Warp Pad is encrypted, only I can access it."

Onyx nodded. He heard a bubbling sound and turned. The ocean appeared to be boiling in a small localized area.

Then Ruby 2 leapt out of the ocean and landed in a kneeling pose on the sand.

"That invisible Gem is so _annoying_!" she shouted. Steam was coming off her as the salt water evaporated rapidly. She began pacing the beach. "She thinks she's all that, but I see _right through_ her little routine!"

"Come on, Ruby!" Ruby 1 said as she walked right out of the water onto shore. "She just sent us for a swim, and you were talking all about how you wanted to go walking underwater."

"On my own time!" Ruby 2 said.

Ruby 4 walked out of the ocean next, a fish in her mouth flopping its tail in her face. She spit it into her hand and threw it behind her. By the time it hit the water, it was merely a dot in the distance.

"All three of you, focus," Onyx said. "That thing is still on this island and it won't be going anywhere. Keep your eyes open, take notice of every minute detail and investigate it. We need to track this invisible Gem down and capture it. Understood?"

"Yes, boss!" all three Rubies said. Jasper nodded and Peridot formed an arm cannon on her limb enhancer.

"Good," Onyx said. "Now spread out, we have a lot of ground to cover."

* * *

Onyx pushed through the foliage, looking every way he could. The island was much bigger than he had initially estimated. Sand was starting to invade parts of his legs again. He was starting to tire of this chase.

As he continued his search, he began thinking to himself. Where did this invisible soldier come from? If indeed it had hitched a ride during their warp, then it must have been in the Prime Kindergarten at the time. Peridot had mentioned that she was stuck in the Kindergarten by order of Yellow Diamond. He recalled her mentioning several pet projects she had been working on in her own time. Did she have some sort of lab in the Prime Kindergarten? He knew for a fact the schematics of the place did not include any sort of lab with invisible soldiers and other strange Gems.

He pushed two bushes aside and came upon a clearing. A small lake filled with crystal clear water dominated the center. The lake was being fed by a large Aqua Geode spewing water from high above. A smaller geode formed a sort of colorful cave directly behind the waterfall. The ground was a mixture of sand and grass, nothing out of the ordinary.

Yet Onyx did not move. He continued to stare at the apparently empty clearing. He scanned the ground carefully, taking in every displaced blade of grass, every indentation in the sand. His quarry had definitely passed through here. Yet strangely, he could find no evidence of its departure.

Minutes must have passed as he continued to stare.

He noticed a section of the grass by the lake pressed down as if something heavy had been placed there recently.

He summoned his Photon Cannon.

There was a sudden ripple at the very edge of the water.

Onyx burst out of the tree line, the barrel of the cannon sliding back with a click as he formed the Wave Buster. He heard a gasp directly in front of him and grinned. This only confirmed to him exactly where his quarry was located.

He brought the lightning blade down on seemingly empty air and was rewarded with a solid impact. There was a loud crackling noise as electricity arced up and down the Gem's invisible body. Onyx withdrew the blade and deactivated it, wincing at the message across his screen. Just those few seconds had drained his power by 5%. Peridot's solution had slightly mitigated the problem, but not completely.

There was a loud impact as the Gem fell to the ground. Onyx turned on thermal imaging again. The unidentified Gem was glowing a brilliant red, with white flashes where sparks still appeared on her body. Onyx returned his view to normal and placed a hand on the Gem's throat, pinning her to the ground as he took a kneeling position next to her.

"You are very durable," he said. "I know of only a few other Gems who could stay conscious after being attacked by the Wave Buster."

He heard a growling sound. That same translucent outline flashed again, but only for an instant.

"How… did you find me?" Onyx frowned. The voice was definitely feminine yet raspy and dull, as if its owner was not accustomed to using it.

"You may be invisible," Onyx said, "but you are not unnoticeable. Now tell me why you attacked us."

"Not… you," she replied.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "You did attack us, my comrades."

"You got… in my way," she explained. "I want… the green one."

"You mean Peridot?" Onyx asked.

"She… did this," the invisible Gem continued. "Made me… unseeable."

"You're one of her projects," Onyx said. "I understand that much."

"Subject… 1B30," she said, and Onyx felt her nodding her head. "Codename: Glass."

"But why?" Onyx asked. "You have been gifted with an incredible ability. You have a power not all Gems have."

"Imagine…" He felt her turn her head towards the water again and Onyx looked. The surface was reflective, though rippling somewhat from the waterfall some distance away. He could see himself, staring back at him with intense purple eyes. He was, for all appearances, holding on to empty air.

"Imagine," Glass repeated, "looking in a mirror… and seeing nothing. I am different. I am… stuck." Her outline flickered back into view, then just as quickly disappeared. "I can't see myself. No one… can see me. No one knows… I even exist. I am… nobody. And she… is to blame."

Onyx stared at his reflection. This Gem was alone. Well and truly alone. She was one of a kind, just like him. Yet where he had found comrades and someone to work for, this experiment had nothing. No loved ones. No people to talk to.

Onyx turned and looked at Glass where he thought her eyes were. "You are not the only one who is different."

His body melted into light, receding back into his gemstone. There was silence. Onyx turned to look at himself in the water. His entire body was nothing but metal plates, wires, and tubes. His hand was skeletal, his face nothing but a pair of purple lights and a set of teeth.

"You…" Glass said.

"ONYX!"

They both snapped their heads towards the sound of Ruby's approach. Judging by the amount of noise coming from the trees, she was not alone. In a flash of purple light, Onyx's skin was back.

"Don't let them take me!" Glass said. "She'll take me back, I'll never get this chance again!"

Onyx looked back at the invisible Gem. He couldn't let this Gem go. She was no Crystal Gem, yet he was duty bound to return her to Peridot's custody.

Which was why he was very confused as to why he was compelled to lift his hand from off Glass's throat and rise to stand.

"Get in the water," he said. "Quietly."

There was a soft rustling sound as Glass presumably rose to a standing position. "Th-thank you," she said. "I don't know how –"

"Hurry!" he hissed. "And don't move once you're in there!"

There was a moment's pause. Onyx felt a rush of wind as if something had flown past him. Then there was a splash very close to where the waterfall was feeding the lake.

"Onyx, there you are!" The mechanical Gem turned around to see Jasper bursting through the brush, nearly toppling another tree in her hurry. Closely following her were the Rubies and Peridot, who was picking grains of sand out of her hair in annoyance.

"Any luck?" Ruby 1 asked.

Onyx hesitated for a brief moment, covering it up with an exasperated sigh. "Unfortunately not," he said. "We must assume that the subject escaped into the ocean."

"Aw man!" Ruby 2 said, crossing her arms. "I wanted to punch it in the face."

"You want to punch _everyone_ in the face," Ruby 1 pointed out.

Peridot kicked at a stone frustratedly. Onyx tensed up somewhat when it went flying above the lake and through the waterfall. "Those half-baked, pebbly CLODS!" she shouted. "I give them one job: keep the lab safe while I'm gone, and what do they do?! Let one of my most prized assets just run around unattended!"

"Peridot, calm down," Onyx said. "We can put together a plan to track her down once we return to the Kindergarten."

"It's such a remote possibility at this point, I don't see why we bother," Peridot said, already turning around to stomp towards the Warp Pad.

"Follow her, I'll catch up," Onyx said to the other members of the PDETF. The four of them nodded and did as they were told.

Onyx turned around. There was a quiet splashing sound as the water parted at its edge. Droplets began dripping off the empty air.

"Thank you," said Glass. "Again.

"One day, when this war is over, I will find you again," Onyx said, pointing a finger at her. "It may take years, perhaps centuries, but until then you must _stay hidden_."

"Okay," Glass said. He watched as her footprints trailed off into the jungle.

Onyx sighed and started walking to the Warp Pad. What he did was very irrational. It was something that went completely against what he stood for. He made this exception first for Garnet, and now Glass.

He hated how sentimental he could get at times.

* * *

 **A/N: Spot all the references I made in this chapter and you get an imaginary cookie!**

 **Mask Island is easily one of my favorite locales in Steven Universe. To me, it seems like a very imaginative take on the whole "Tropical Island" scenario what with all the masked animals and geodes. There wasn't much information I could find on its function, so I decided to make up my own backstory here. Plus, giving the invisible Gem Monster a backstory gives me an excuse to have the PDETF fight something that isn't a Crystal Gem for once AND gives me an opportunity to set up something I'll be covering much _much_ later.**

 **Also, Shade, I realize I forgot to answer one of your questions in my last note (excluding the one you told me to ignore), but here's your belated answer. Basically, Onyx's relationship with the future Crystal Gems will be very... complicated. I can't really say much more without getting into spoiler territory, but just know that all will be explained with time.**

 **Not much else to say this time around, just that I hope you keep enjoying this and leave a review with your thoughts as always!**


	12. Tourmaline

Magic was the only thing that could truly give Onyx a sense of mortal fear.

Technically, all Gems were capable of minor displays of the mystical arts, though Onyx could easily rationalize these as major displays of scientific prowess. Creating a physical body made of solid light? Slowing down the photons in the air enough to function similarly to molecules that formed all states of matter. The "life energy" drained from planets to give life to all Gemkind? Merely taking the nutrients required to sustain life out of the planet's soil and using them as fuel. Onyx often found that any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from technology.

The problem was when there was a clear distinction between the rational and the unexplained.

* * *

" _Pink Diamond! It's wonderful to be in your presence!"_

" _Well, duh. I'm amazing, after all."_

" _Wow! So radiant and confident!"_

"And Gems would come to these proceedings _willingly_?" Onyx asked Ruby 1, looking away from the screen he was holding.

They were gathered in Pink Diamond's personal chambers on Homeworld. Outside was a perfect view of Homeworld's capital, better known as Core City. The abodes of all the Diamonds looked towards the center of the city. Directly across from Pink's tower was the massive temple that housed White Diamond. To their left and right were Yellow's and Blue's temples respectively. In between them was an intricate network of transport tubes connecting the various buildings sprawling as far as the eye could see.

But Onyx was not paying attention to the glorious view. Instead, all his attention was focused on the video on the screen. It was footage of one of Pink Diamond's grand parties. Onyx had never been to one himself on the count of Pink not having thrown one in almost a millennium. A passing remark from Rubies 1 and 2 had brought on his curiosity at what his Diamond occupied her time with before she was ruler of an entire planet. Thus, they all sat themselves down on a long bench to watch the show

"Why wouldn't they?" Ruby 1 said. "It was a chance to meet the Diamonds in person! Do you know how rare that is?"

"Considering I work with – _for_ one every day." Onyx said, "I can't say I that I do."

"It still looks boring if you ask me," Jasper said. "Just a ton of standing around and spinning."

Onyx swiped on the screen, advancing the video to the point where actual dancing occurred. He had to admit, Jasper was right. There was a lot of spinning involved.

"Yeah, to be honest we thought it was pretty boring too," Ruby 2 said. "Even Ruby 3 thought so."

"I don't know, it looks pretty fun to me!" Ruby 4 said, climbing over Onyx's shoulder and pushing his head aside to get a good look at the screen.

Jasper gave her a confused look. "What is… fun?"

"Fun is when you…" Ruby 4 hesitated, leaning against Onyx's head as she thought carefully. "Hmmm, what is fun?" She gave a sudden toothy grin and straightened herself. "Let me spell it out for you. F is for – whoa!"

"Fun," Onyx said as he tossed Ruby 4 over his shoulder, "is when you do something specifically to elicit within yourself a feeling of joy and satisfaction."

"Like how I win a fight and then I can't stop smiling afterward," Jasper said with realization.

"Precisely," Onyx said, nodding. He continued to advance the video, causing the Gems to dance at high speed.

Ruby 4 sat up and crossed her arms. "You're no fun," she grumbled.

Onyx frowned. He stopped advancing the video and sound once again played, though it was very different from the serene singing from before. There were panicked shouts and the familiar laughter of Pink Diamond. As well as strange incoherent babbling. Onyx watched as Gems scattered and strange segmented insects took their place. Each was very colorful and roughly the size of a Quartz soldier. They smiled as they spouted gibberish. Pink Diamond was in the center of the crowd, laughing as the creatures crawled around her body. She was even wearing one of the smaller ones as a scarf of sorts.

"What is she doing?" asked Jasper with a furrowed brow.

Onyx smiled. "Having fun."

"I don't think we went to that one," Ruby 2 said as the other two Rubies crowded around her to get a good look. Jasper, too, leaned in close.

As they all watched, Pink Diamond turned around to address someone off-camera.

" _Come on, everyone! The party's just getting started!"_

The camera panned right, and Onyx had to contain raucous laughter. There were four thrones. The pink one at the bottom was empty, save for one insect that was doing its best impression of royalty. Yellow Diamond sat in the one on the left, frozen in place and staring straight ahead with an intense frown as the creatures crawled all over her body. Blue Diamond sat in the throne on the right, her eyes peeking over her knees and shaking like a leaf, watching as the creatures giggled at her displays of fear.

In the topmost and largest throne sat a figure Onyx had never seen before. All he could see was a pair of legs resting on the ground and a hand on one of the armrests. Her skin was the most brilliant white Onyx had ever seen, so much so that it seemed to glow. Her nails were long, sharp, and black as night. One finger was tapping impatiently against the armrest.

One of the bugs crawled up to the figure. The camera angle made it impossible to see the bug due to Pink Diamond's throne blocking the view.

The figure raised her foot and stomped it down, making a loud _boom_ that almost drowned out the accompanying splat. All other sounds immediately stopped as everyone in the room turned to the figure and watched her stand up.

" _On the contrary, the party has_ ended, _Starlight."_

The footage abruptly cut off. The members of the PDETF stared at the blank screen for what felt like hours.

"Was… was that…?" Jasper did not have to finish her sentence for the others to know who she was referring to. But no one could say if the stranger in the footage was indeed the person they suspected it to be.

Before anyone could say anything, the door to Pink Diamond's room slid open. Standing there with arms crossed was someone Onyx had met very few times before, yet someone he knew very well. Bored expression. Dressed in blue. Lapis Lazuli.

"Hey, pebbles," Lapis said with a wave.

There was a series of high-pitched sounds of greeting coming from the walls. Onyx whipped his head around to see a panel had opened up to reveal tiny gray Gems waving cheerfully at Lapis. Onyx sighed and held his hand out in a calming gesture.

"She was not referring to you. Sorry, little ones," he said.

They all collectively said "aww" in disappointment. They stepped back inside the walls, the panel closing with a hiss of steam.

"And those were… what exactly?" Lapis asked, not even impressed by this strange turn of events.

" _They_ were my Diamond's oldest and most loyal servants," Onyx said. "The Pebbles."

"Oh," Lapis said. "Neat." It was then that she finally took in the shell-shocked expressions of her fellow Gems. "What's wrong with you guys? You look like you've seen a ghost.

"Okay back up," Jasper said. "Who are you?"

"Lapis Lazuli," the blue Gem replied.

"She's an old friend of mine," Onyx said. "Well, I only met her once, but I hope we can be friends."

Lapis tilted her head, inspecting Onyx more closely as she stepped forward. "You're the guy from that thing at the Sky Arena on Earth," she realized. "The one who jumped off the side and nearly got shattered by an angry mob."

"Not how I wanted you to remember me, but yes," Onyx said. "Sorry I never arranged a meeting with you like I suggested, but I've been rather busy with helping to fight a war."

"I get it," Lapis said.

"I can make time for you in the near future, if you'd like," Onyx said.

"Seriously, it's not that big a deal," Lapis replied.

"No, I mean it –"

"Boss." Onyx turned and looked at Ruby 1, who was patting him on the back. "Let it go, okay?"

Onyx nodded and turned back to Lapis. "Why are you here, exactly?"

"Oh yeah, almost forgot," Lapis said. "I thought you'd like to know Pink Diamond is stuck in the Incarceration Tower."

As one, the PDETF members took on expressions of worry. "Again?!" Ruby 2 shouted.

"What do you mean 'again?! How often does this happen?" Jasper demanded.

"Do you know why she is there?" Onyx asked.

"How should I know?" Lapis replied with a shrug. "I just overheard it from Blue Diamond, that's all."

"We can arrange her release," Onyx said, getting up off the bench and hunching over. Under the bench, he could see the intricate web of passageways the Pebbles had constructed for themselves. He slid the screen through the opening, and it was immediately taken by half a dozen of the tiny servants. One Pebble crawled up through the opening and looked him in the eye.

"Is Pink okay?" she asked.

"She will be just fine, little one," Onyx said. "My friends and I will bring her back here, and then you can have fun pampering her to your wildest dreams."

The Pebble didn't seem reassured by this, and her saddened expression was quickly joined by even more of her friends with identical looks of sadness.

"Come on, Pink isn't going to wanna come home to a bunch of worried faces," Ruby 1 said, hanging upside down from the bench to look at them.

The other two Rubies quickly joined her. "Let's see your smiles!" they said in unison.

The Pebbles looked up and gave half-hearted grins.

"I know!" Jasper said, laying on her stomach as she joined the party. "What do you guys do for fun?"

The Pebbles hummed in thought. A rather spherical-looking one held up his hand.

"Building stuff," he said.

"Well, there's something you can do to help," Onyx said. "Build something… something big, something that'll let you all have fun even after you're done building."

The Pebbles all slowly began smiling, rushing deeper inside their labyrinth. The PDETF members stood up as the bench sank back into the floor with a puff of steam.

"If you guys are done conspiring to have fun," Lapis said, "you have a Diamond to get out of jail."

"We know," Onyx said as all five PDETF members stood up. "But it's not exactly like she can just break herself out."

* * *

It was dark. Always dark. She supposed should feel honored that she had her own floor of the tower all to herself. She didn't even get a window to the outside. Her cell would always be dark, no matter the time of day.

Well, there was _one_ time that her cell would be filled with light.

The door opened. For the first time in a century, she could see the interior of her cell as light from the outside, however dim, fell upon her. She looked at her own hands. Such a strange luxury that was.

" _Hello again, my child."_

The prisoner did not turn around to see who was talking for two reasons. One: she already knew who it was. Two: the wall was much more aesthetically pleasing.

" _Still you are hesitant to talk to me. Impudent as ever, I see."_

"If you were trapped in a dark, forgotten cell for as long as I have been," the prisoner said, "you wouldn't be too keen on speaking to your jailer either."

They were silent for a long time. The prisoner spoke again. "Is it really you this time? Or have you sent another of your pets?"

" _Running a galactic empire is a very tiring ordeal. I trust you understand why I sent a… representative instead of seeing you in person?"_

"Of course I do," the prisoner said with a rueful smile. "You haven't deemed me important enough to grace me with your luminous presence. How can it be that you've lived for millennia and still haven't changed at all?"

" _That seems rather hypocritical of you."_

"At least I'm stuck in one room without a choice in the matter," the prisoner said. "You're the one who chooses not to leave her own head."

There was another long period of silence.

* * *

"Slow down, will you?" Ruby 2 shouted angrily. "It's not like she's going anywhere!"

"No, but she would very much like to," said Onyx, not slowing down from his speed-walking. "I just want to expedite that process is all."

Onyx had known about the many times Pink Diamond was trapped in the Incarceration Tower. In his lifetime, however, this instance was the only time he could see it firsthand. The tower itself was a huge prison made of dark gray stone and metal rising high above Core City. The interior consisted of mostly long hallways filled with doors leading to dingy holding cells. There was barely enough room in most of them to walk in circles. Within the walls of each cell were power dampeners that prevented most Gems from accessing all their power. In fact, most became very sluggish and weak after prolonged exposure.

Onyx knew of one exception to this. Pink Diamond's personal cell. He wondered if it should be considered an honor to be so important as to have your own wing of a prison. She even got a window to the outside. A perfect view of Core City. Just to show her everything she was missing out on.

"Okay, how often does this happen?" Jasper asked. "I mean, the leader of an entire planet being locked up doesn't sound like a normal thing."

"It isn't," Onyx said. "It's not normal in the slightest."

"It doesn't happen so much anymore," Ruby 1 said. "But back before Pink had a colony, she would get thrown in there all the time."

"What for?" Jasper asked.

"As far as I know, they were for causing trouble during official gatherings and throwing tantrums, among other things," Onyx said.

"How did you know that?" Ruby 4 asked.

Onyx tapped the side of his head. "I have access to all of Homeworld's database… in my memory." He added that last bit when he glanced behind them to see Lapis Lazuli still following behind them. "I remember everything in it."

"Whoa, so you know _everything?_ " Ruby 1 asked.

"Not all at once," Onyx said. "I only know information when I need to access it."

"…So basically, you know everything," Lapis replied.

"It's not that simple," Onyx said. "But never mind that now, we're here."

They looked up. This cell was much bigger than the others. The door was big enough to allow any of the Diamonds inside. Standing on either side of the door were two very similar Gems: Pearls, one pink and one blue. Onyx approached Pink Pearl first. She looked up at him, a sad look in her eyes. Onyx frowned. She had her hair down on one side, not like the usual bun she kept it in. It was covering the left side of her face. He shook his head. Pearl's hairstyle was not his problem at the moment.

"What's happened, Pearl?" Onyx asked. Pink Pearl opened her mouth, then closed it and looked down in apparent shame.

"What's her problem?" Lapis asked.

Onyx gave Lapis an annoyed look. "Speaking isn't exactly one of Pink Pearl's strong suits. But no matter." He turned around and approached Blue Pearl next.

"Why is Pink Diamond in this cell," Onyx asked impatiently.

Blue Pearl curtseyed. "My Diamonds are inside, discussing the problem," she spoke in a voice so soft it was almost a whisper.

"I asked you a question." Onyx moved his face inches away from hers. Blue Pearl leaned back in fear, the ominous purple glow of Onyx's eyes unnerving her. "Tell me why Pink Diamond has been incarcerated or I will not be this calm for very much longer."

"Um…" Blue Pearl gulped nervously. "M-my Diamond instructed me to be silent on the matter. She said she would take care of the problem."

"What do you mean by that?" Onyx asked. "What exactly are they –"

Onyx did not say another word. In an instant he was overcome with the deepest and most intense sorrow he had ever felt. Onyx fell to his knees, his eyes burning. He turned to see that the others were just as overcome with emotion as he was. The Rubies were curled up on the floor, tears streaming from their eyes and holding each other's hands. Jasper was clutching her abdomen, her entire body racking with sobs. Pink Pearl was sniffing and wiping at her eye. Blue Pearl merely stood stock still as a single tear fell down her face.

Onyx turned to Lapis Lazuli. She too was crying, a hand covering her mouth. "What is the meaning of this?" Onyx asked, surprised at the amount of genuine sorrow in his voice.

Lapis waved her free hand, and her tears flew off her face and onto the end of her finger. Almost immediately, new tears welled up in her eyes to replace them. "Blue Diamond's empath powers," she said. "It's like at the Arena, but she's making us all sad instead of angry."

Onyx turned back to look at the door to Pink Diamond's cell. Once again, he asked himself what was happening in there.

* * *

" _I'm afraid I've already spent too much time with you, my child. I must leave you now."_

"That's it?" the prisoner asked. "Off you go like nothing's wrong, off to abandon me for another hundred years?"

" _That's the basic idea, yes."_

"Why do you even bother coming here?" the prisoner asked. "Every century you come in, say hello, then leave as quickly as you came."

There was a hesitation.

" _A reminder of what happens when one Gem has more power than she rightly should. So I don't make the same mistake again."_

"So I'm a mistake, am I?" the prisoner asked. "Can't say I'm all that surprised."

They were silent. Then the prisoner heard footsteps leaving the cell.

"I will escape, you know," she said. "The time for my jailbreak is fast approaching. I saw it in a vision."

Haughty laughter filled the room.

" _My child, you say that for every one of my visits, and for millennia you have remained in this cell where you belong. Is that not proof enough that your visions have turned into mere delusions?"_

"And all that proves is that you still won't listen to me," she replied. "I said the time for my escape was drawing near, I never said it was _right now_." She grinned. "Oh, by the way. It's _right now_."

Before her visitor could reply, the prisoner felt it. The very wave of sadness she knew she would feel at that exact moment. She had foreseen this exact scenario. And she knew what came next.

The prisoner stood up for the first time in thousands of years. She raised a hand to her eye, and when she took it away it was damp. She grinned and turned around.

"I won't be needing this cell anymore," she said.

Lapis walked up to Onyx, now ignoring the tears on her face. "How are you not crying?"

Onyx realized just then that she was right. His eyes were burning up (something that should technically be impossible considering he couldn't feel pain) yet they were not dampening like everyone else.

"I do not cry easily," he rasped. "Sometimes I believe it to be impossible."

"Pretty soulless of you," Lapis said, sniffing.

"Make no mistake, I am feeling the same despair you are," he replied. He mustered up the strength to rise to his feet and turned to Blue Pearl. "Now, as I was saying, it's time for –"

He was cut off again. There was a loud crash as the floor beneath them was blasted apart as a large yellow blur was flung against the ceiling. Everyone looked up at the sudden entrance, struggling to see with their watery eyes.

There was a Topaz embedded in the ceiling. Tears dripped from her eyes into the massive hole in the ground she had made upon her entrance.

Topaz blinked the tears out of her eyes, taking a raspy breath. "Prisoner… Zero."

That was all she could manage to get out before her physical form poofed out of existence. Fighting through the sorrow, Onyx took a step forward to try to catch the guard's falling gemstone. However, a hand made of water flung out and caught the gemstone before he could get there. Everyone's faces had suddenly dried.

Lapis brought the thick disk of yellow closer and placed it gently on the ground. Onyx gave her an impressed look. "It seems you are resistant to Blue Diamond's power yourself."

"I'm used to it," Lapis said, peering over the edge. Onyx stepped up to join her, dully noticing that his sadness was fading.

Down the hole was a long drop all the way to the ground floor of the tower, and _deeper_.

"Looks like a jailbreak," Jasper said. She and the Rubies had joined them.

"I was not aware the Incarceration Tower had a basement level," Onyx said.

Suddenly, a figure poked their head through the series of holes and looked down. Then she looked up and Onyx was able to recognize her. No one else had that same hair shaped like a cloud and a left eye colored red.

"Do you people _mind?!_ " Hessonite shouted up at them. "I'm in the middle of an interrogation here!"

"Not that I'm unhappy to see you, Hessonite," Onyx called back, "but we're all in the middle of a _jailbreak_ here!"

"Oh, is that what this is?" Hessonite asked, pointing up and down the improvised vertical tunnel. "And here I thought someone just wanted to do a little redecorating!"

Onyx looked at the PDETF members. "Everyone ready for a bit of a surprise mission?"

The Rubies raised their arms, summoning their gauntlets. Jasper just grinned and summoned her helmet.

"Wait, what about Pink?" Lapis asked. "She's the whole reason you guys came here!"

Onyx nodded, raising his arm and summoning his Photon Cannon. "Think of it this way," Onyx said. "If get her out of prison rather than apprehending a dangerous criminal… she's going to explode."

"Literally," Ruby 1 said.

Without another word, Onyx jumped down the hole.

* * *

He fell for several seconds, landing with a _crash_ at the literal rock bottom. He looked around, taking in the basement floor of the Incarceration Tower. He brought up the schematics of the tower and noted that the only thing that should have been down there was the power generator for the prison's power dampeners. There were no cells, and yet that Topaz had mentioned a "Prisoner Zero." Whatever was down here was so terrible that the Diamonds didn't want _anyone_ knowing of its existence.

There were two more _crashes_. The Rubies had fused during the fall down. However, he noticed there was one more figure gently touching down next to Jasper after flying down on watery wings.

Onyx gave her a questioning gaze. She shrugged in response. "I'm bored," she said.

There was a thud, and suddenly the Ruby Fusion was facedown on the ground with another Gem standing on her back.

"I never miss an opportunity to add another battle to my winning streak," Hessonite said.

"Just try not to hog all the glory," Jasper said, pounding her fist into her palm.

Their banter stopped as they heard footsteps approaching. The basement was almost completely dark. There was only a small circle of light on the ground from the light flooding in through the hole in the ceiling.

Onyx turned on his thermal imaging. There was a figure equal to Pink Diamond in height and incredibly thin. Her arms and legs were spindly like that of some sort of insect.

The figure seemed to notice him staring. Then she disappeared in an instant.

Onyx looked around in confusion. A few seconds later there was a light _pop_ followed by a panicked shout. Jasper was thrown into the darkness, a _crash_ following soon after. Onyx caught a glimpse of a green figure, but she disappeared with another _pop_ before he could make out any details.

"What the heck was that?" Jasper asked with a strained voice. "I – _hurk!_ "

Her exclamation was due to another blow from their foe, sending her through the ceiling and making another hole. Unlike the Topaz from before, however, Jasper stopped when she hit the ceiling of the ground floor. The others briefly saw a silhouette of the prisoner before she leapt up after Jasper.

Just as the big orange quartz was about to fall back down, the silhouette leapt up and drop kicked her to the side. Jasper flew down the hall until finally crashing through the wall and emerging outside the Incarceration Tower. She slid along the ground until she flipped over and dug her fingers into the ground. Long tracks followed her as she gradually stopped. Looking behind her, Jasper winced as she saw she had nearly fallen down a cliff into an old Kindergarten.

"Very impressive," she heard someone say accompanied by slow clapping. Jasper turned her head forward and glared at who was walking up to her.

The Gem was tall, at least as tall as Pink Diamond. Her arms and legs were long and thin, reminding Jasper of an insect. Her face had sharp defined features, big green eyes, and thin lips drawn into a smile. Her dark green hair was shoulder length and straight. She was wearing a bright green bodysuit, black gloves and boots, triangular shoulder pads, and a cape fastened to the circular gemstone high on her chest by her throat. The gemstone was shimmering, changing colors as it caught the light at different angles.

The former prisoner stopped clapping and put her hands on her hips. "I know I'm weaker than I was a few millennia ago, but that should have destroyed your physical form," she said. Her voice was that of an older woman.

"Well let's just say I'm a bit better than most Gems," Jasper said with a smirk, rising to a standing position.

"Well, you're certainly confident," the escaped prisoner said. "Is that your plan? To boast so much that I get fed up and turn myself in?"

"Actually, I was planning to threaten you," Jasper said, curling her hands into fists and marching up to her opponent. The prisoner merely watched Jasper approach with a bored expression. She didn't even move when Jasper threw a punch at her.

Jasper's fist connected with empty air. One moment the prisoner had been standing there, the next she was gone.

"Good to see Jaspers are as predictable as ever," the prisoner said. Jasper quickly spun around to see that she had somehow reappeared behind her.

"How did you –"

"Magic, sweetheart," the prisoner said. She raised her right hand and opened her palm. There was now a ball of light floating above it. She threw the light ball at Jasper, who slid backward but still managed to stay on her feet.

The PDETF plus Lapis and Hessonite just managed to get outside when Jasper was sent flying again. Onyx held out his hands and caught Jasper, lifting her above his head.

"You can't just go throwing my soldiers through walls," Onyx said, glaring daggers at the prisoner.

"Why not? It's quite fun. You should try it sometime," the prisoner said. Then she peered closer at the one who had addressed her and smiled. "Ah, you must be Onyx."

The mechanical Gem tilted his head in confusion. "Do I know you?"

"No, but I know you," the prisoner said. Then she tilted her head and thought about it some more. "Well, I don't exactly _know_ you, I've just seen you in my Visions a few times. We'll get acquainted with each other many times, I can assure you."

"You possess Future Vision?" Onyx asked.

The prisoner laughed. "Did you really think Sapphires were the only ones who possessed that little parlor trick? Of course I do, though my version is a bit more… sporadic. You see –"

She stopped talking and caught an object flying at her. The Ruby Fusion had launched her gauntlet in a punching motion.

"No more talking!" Ruby shouted, replacing her gauntlet in a flash. "You're going back in the ground where you belong!"

"I never thought I'd say this," Hessonite said, drawing her sword from thin air with a flick of her wrist, "but I agree with the Ruby. Can we just skip to the part where I win already?"

"You mean where _we_ win?" Lapis said. The wings on her back morphed into giant fists.

"Everyone, fight like your life depends on it!" Onyx shouted.

Everyone charged forward, except for Onyx and Jasper. Onyx spun around at alarming speeds, then used that momentum to throw Jasper headfirst at the prisoner. Jasper then tucked and rolled in midair. She now resembled a spinning saw blade, an aura of flames surrounding her.

The prisoner rubbed her hands together. Then, right when Jasper was about to hit her, she kicked the Quartz high into the air. Jasper flew higher and higher until she was just a dot in the sky.

"Huh," Onyx remarked. "That actually was quite fun."

The prisoner did not stop to watch Jasper disappear, though. Hessonite had zoomed forward at super speed and thrust her sword. The prisoner leaned to the side to dodge the blow, then caught the blade and flipped it around. Impressively, Hessonite managed to keep a hold on her weapon and ended up flipping with it to land on her feet. She slashed and cut, the prisoner putting her hands together to block the attacks.

"You may be able to see the future," Hessonite said, "but how fast can you react to what you see?"

The Gem commander then sped off and immediately ran back in the blink of an eye. She ran right past the prisoner, slashing with her blade and managing to get a good hit. But she didn't stop there. Hessonite kept running past her over and over, whipping up winds as she kept attacking the prisoner with sword attacks and punches. The prisoner seemed to get genuinely annoyed at the onslaught and decided to put a stop to it. After what must have been the tenth blow, she held her hand out and caught Hessonite by the throat.

"Very impressive!" she said again. "Era 1 is full of promising Gems." She held her hand out and gripped Hessonite's gemstone on her chest. "Your power is just what I need to get my power back in a more expedient manner."

Slowly, orange light began flowing up the prisoner's arm and into her own gemstone. Hessonite suddenly began wincing in pain and adopted a look of fear. Color was beginning to drain from her form.

Suddenly, the hand holding Hessonite's throat was separated from the Prisoner's body by a purple blade of light. The prisoner let go of Hessonite and let her drop to the ground. Onyx kicked the prisoner away and raised his Wave Buster in her face.

The prisoner gritted her teeth and raised her injured arm. "That really hurt, Onyx," she growled. Her severed hand, fallen to the ground, poofed into smoke. The smoke flew to her arm and reassembled itself into a new hand.

The prisoner smiled. "But no lasting harm done," she said. "Now, where were we?"

"Your face was getting punched by me!" Ruby shouted, charging in and performing that exact action. The prisoner was then immediately attacked from the back by a blow from one of Lapis Lazuli's water fists.

Satisfied that the prisoner was occupied, Onyx turned to address Hessonite's own injuries. She was staggering to her feet, breathing hard as color returned to her form.

"You…" Hessonite managed to get out.

"Yes, I saved your life, I am well aware," Onyx said. "Focus on the battle."

Hessonite looked like she had some snide remark to say, but she didn't have the energy to vocalize it. "Any ideas?"

Onyx looked up into the starry sky. "I do, but we'll have to manipulate her into position. Right… here." He pointed at the ground a few feet away. It was a short distance away from the cliff.

"I can manage that," Hessonite said.

Meanwhile, the Ruby Fusion and Lapis were having some difficulty. The prisoner was teleporting all over the place to dodge their punches. Ruby decided to try something new. She charged at the prisoner for what felt like the dozenth time and wound up another punch. Just before the punch connected, she split apart into her three components. Rubies 1 and 2 dove down and wrapped around the prisoner's legs while Ruby 4 leapt up and took hold of the back of her head while grinning wildly.

"Operation Splitting Headache!" Ruby 4 screamed.

"Okay, that was cool," Lapis admitted with a small smile. She too ran forward and tried another punch with her water fist.

The prisoner struggled to throw off the Rubies, but they were stubborn. She looked into Lapis's eyes in panic as the liquid punch was about to send her flying.

Then she blinked away with another _pop_ , the three Rubies disappearing with her. Lapis stumbled forward and looked around. The prisoner had warped a few feet behind her, the Rubies still clinging to her.

"You're starting to really annoy me!" she shouted. Suddenly, she thrust her hands out and there was a strange invisible shockwave that caused everyone to stumble back. The Rubies went flying off of the prisoner's body. She pointed at Ruby 4 and a beam of green light shot from her finger. When it struck Ruby 4, she froze in place, hanging upside down in the air. She tried to open her mouth, but even her lips were frozen apart mid-scream. Her eyes moved around wildly.

The prisoner gave a bemused grin. "Ah, good. At least _that's_ working now," she said. She pointed to the side, causing Ruby 4 to fly directly into Lapis and send them both to the ground. She pointed at Ruby 2 next, flicking her finger out and sending the short red soldier sliding along the ground on her face. She pointed at Ruby 1 next, but before she could do anything, Hessonite sped up behind her and put her in a headlock.

"Let's not point fingers," Onyx said, his Photon Cannon leveled at the prisoner. Then he frowned. "How are you doing this?"

The prisoner shrugged, but the motion caused Ruby 1 to get embedded in the wall of the Incarceration Tower headfirst somewhere between the second and ground floors.

"Oops," she said. "Forgive me, I'm a little out of practice. Anyway, don't you know magic when you see it?"

"There is no magic," Onyx said. "There is only science so advanced it merely _appears_ to be magic unless analyzed."

"Oh, great, you're one of those science worshippers," the prisoner said. "Very well, analyze _this!_ "

She blinked out again and reappeared in Onyx's face, Hessonite still holding on to her neck.

"Instant Transmission," he said.

"But _how_ do you propose I am doing that? Other than magic, of course," the prisoner asked.

Onyx did not respond, staring into her eyes. Hessonite rolled her eyes and suplexed the prisoner to the ground.

"Don't let her get inside your –" Hessonite's next words were cut off when she became the next victim of the prisoner's pointing freeze move. The prisoner stood and grinned, until she looked to the side and saw Onyx charging at her.

Onyx noticed that for some reason, the prisoner didn't warp away when he punched her in the abdomen. Her concentration broke and she stopped pointing at Hessonite, allowing her to move again.

"And what would you call that 'spell?'" Onyx asked. "You're just removing the kinetic energy from whatever you point at."

"Zero-Point," she replied. "And if I'm removing their kinetic energy, how am I flinging them all over the place?"

Onyx once again had no answer for that. He formed his Wave Buster and slashed, but the prisoner blinked away again. She reappeared a few feet away. Onyx nodded. He noticed the prisoner about to raise her hand again. Thinking quickly, he ducked and Hessonite was once again trapped by the Zero-Point. Onyx raised his Photon Cannon and fired an uncharged shot, scoring a direct hit. Hessonite was once again released.

"Would you stop doing that?!" Hessonite shouted.

"I think she can only use one 'spell' at a time," Onyx said. "She can't warp away if she's trapped someone."

Hessonite nodded. "Then let's use that to our advantage."

"I don't appreciate being ignored!" the prisoner shouted. She suddenly threw her hands out. In a flash, she had changed color from green to blue. Her gemstone continued to shimmer in many different colors. She breathed in satisfaction.

"Now that's more like it," she said. She suddenly dashed forward. Before Onyx could react, he was punched a dozen times in a second. He fell to his knees, clutching his gemstone. Suddenly, Hessonite and the prisoner disappeared. They turned into blurs as they collided over and over.

"That's new," Lapis said. Onyx looked and saw that she and the three Rubies had recuperated and were walking up to him. They watched Hessonite's and the prisoner's battle with fascination.

"Seriously, how is she doing all this?" Ruby 2 asked with crossed arms. "It's not fair!"

Onyx shook his head. "It doesn't make sense," he said. "Magic doesn't… I've never seen power like this."

"Look, can you save your existential crisis for later?" Lapis asked. "Hessonite could use some help."

Onyx looked and saw that Lapis was right. The prisoner had caught Hessonite's sword by the blade, and both were shaking with the force they were exerting.

Onyx nodded. "We don't have much time. Get her to stand on that spot!" he commanded, pointing at the spot he had mentioned to Hessonite earlier. "She can't warp away when she's using her Zero-Point. Use that to your advantage!"

The others nodded. Hessonite made eye contact with Onyx and he nodded. Taking his signal, the Gem commander used the last of her strength to twist around and push the prisoner onto the spot Onyx had pointed out. She then immediately ran forward and her blade was once again caught by her opponent. The two of them were standing several feet from the edge of the cliff.

Lapis hummed in thought, then turned to look at the Rubies, who had fused once again. The Ruby Fusion looked down at Lapis in confusion.

"What?" she asked. Suddenly, Lapis used her water hands to grab Ruby by the ankles and toss her at the prisoner. Ruby screamed in panic, which drew the attention of the prisoner and Hessonite. Hessonite backed away, abandoning her sword and dispelling it. The prisoner pointed at the flying Ruby and froze her on the spot.

"You already tried that, remember?" she said. Suddenly, her mouth was covered by a giant water hand and her pointing hand was held in place with another.

Hessonite then ran up and stabbed the prisoner with a new blade. The prisoner's muffled shouts gave the commander a sense of satisfaction, and she smirked.

Suddenly, everyone stopped in place and listened carefully. There was a distant sound of angered screams getting steadily closer. The prisoner's eyes darted from place to place, trying to find the source of the screams, which were getting louder. Then a thought occurred to her and she looked up.

There was a yellow fireball falling out of the sky. Lapis and Hessonite quickly ran away as the prisoner stood frozen in place. Then the fireball landed, causing a massive explosion of rubble and heat. Lapis and Hessonite dove to the ground to avoid the rubble flying over their heads. The Ruby Fusion fell to the ground as the Zero-Point Spell fizzled out. Onyx smiled to himself. He loved it when a plan came together.

"I think we got her," Lapis said.

They suddenly saw a shape moving in the dust and all of them immediately scrambled to their feet. Before any of them could summon their weapons again, however, the shape broke through and let out a victory screech.

"Woo!" Jasper shouted. She was covered in scratches and dirt. "Now _that_ was fun!"

The dust settled and Onyx's eyes widened. He held up his Photon Cannon and glared at the massive crater Jasper had left behind. The prisoner had staggered to her feet and had changed her color back to green. As bad as Jasper looked, she was even worse. Burn marks dotted her entire body and her cape was now in tatters. The others summoned their weapons again. Jasper looked at them in confusion, then turned around and saw what they were getting defensive over. Her helmet reappeared and she bared her teeth.

The prisoner looked up and pointed at Jasper. The tip of her finger flashed for an instant before the energy fizzled out. She looked at her finger in confusion and tried again. This produced the same futile result.

The prisoner laughed. "Well played, Onyx. It seems that the energy I drained from your haughty friend was merely a temporary solution."

"You have no means of defending yourself," Onyx said. "Come quietly or there will be… trouble."

"Oh, make no mistake, I'm never going back in that Tower again," the prisoner said, putting her hands on her hips. "But I will be seeing you again. I don't know when, but I will."

She stomped the ground and a mighty _crash_ echoed off the walls of the canyon behind her. The ground around her, already destabilized by Jasper's impact, cracked in half and began sliding down. She waved at Onyx even as he ran forward.

"I'm Tourmaline, by the way," she said. "See you around."

The ground then gave way and she fell into the canyon below. Onyx stopped himself just before the edge and looked down. He could see massive pieces of rubble falling through the air, yet not the silhouette of his quarry. He shook his head and straightened back up, dispelling his Photon Cannon.

"Welp, there goes your perfect record," Lapis said, patting Hessonite on the back.

Hessonite sliced her sword through the air and dispelled it in a flash of yellow light. "She was forced to retreat," Hessonite said. "That counts as a victory in my book."

"I think I finally get this whole 'fun' thing you mentioned earlier," Jasper said, walking up to Onyx.

"I'm pleased _one_ of us derived enjoyment from this experience," he said.

"Ahem." They turned and saw that Hessonite and Lapis were now standing beside them.

Hessonite cleared her throat again. "I just wanted to say… well, you saved my life. And… I suppose that earns you my gratitude. So, thank you. If you need anything from me, just ask." She crossed her arms. "There, I said it, now don't make me say it again."

"A thanks from Yellow Diamond's favorite Hessonite?" Onyx asked. "Is this some sort of illusion?"

Hessonite waved her hand dismissively, turned around, and began walking away. "Yes, yes, bask in your glory all you want," she said. "I still have an interrogation to finish, so you'll have to excuse me."

Lapis watched Hessonite walk away for a bit, then turned back to Onyx. "That was probably the most fun I've had in centuries," she said. She gave a small smile and a thumbs up. "Contact me if you ever need any other crazy witch to get her head smashed in. Or something a bit more mundane. Either way is cool with me."

Onyx smiled and held out his hand. Lapis took it and they shook. Lapis then summoned her wings and flew off, presumably back to her living quarters.

"She seems nice," Jasper said.

"Hey guys!" Jasper and Onyx turned to see that the Rubies had run back to the hole in the wall of the Incarceration Tower. "Can we check on Pink Diamond now?"

Onyx nodded. He would have liked to pursue the one called Tourmaline further, but the drones patrolling the canyon below could take care of that.

At least, he thought they would.

* * *

It turned out that they didn't have to go all the way to the top floor to find Pink Diamond again. She was waiting for them after a few turns on the ground floor. What Onyx did not expect was to see Blue Diamond standing with her, both their respective Pearls standing off to the side and staring straight ahead.

"Oh my gosh!" Pink Diamond shouted, running up to Onyx and engulfing him in a hug. Onyx stood there in shock, feeling the gaze of his fellow PDETF members on him.

Then someone cleared their throat and Pink let go of him. They looked up to meet the disapproving gaze of none other than Blue Diamond. She gave a meaningful nod to Pink, and she backed away from Onyx.

"Thank you for your service today," Pink said. "Because of your efforts, we were able to quell the other prisoners and no one else managed to escape."

Onyx sighed with relief. "It is my pleasure to be in your service, my Diamond," he said. All the PDETF members did the traditional Diamond Salute.

"Now that that's sorted," Blue Diamond said, "I have other business to attend to." She leaned down and turned her fellow Diamond around with one hand around her head. "Pink? Make sure this sort of thing _doesn't happen again."_

Pink gulped nervously and nodded quickly. Blue Diamond nodded and walked off. Onyx noticed Blue Pearl follow her, giving a quick glance at Pink Pearl before she and her Diamond disappeared around a corner.

"My Diamond, do you know anything about 'Tourmaline?'" Onyx asked.

Pink was still staring at the corner that Blue Diamond had disappeared behind, as if afraid she would pop out any second.

"My Diamond?" Onyx said a bit more forcefully.

"Huh what?" Pink turned around and shook her head. "Sorry, I was distracted. No, I've never heard of her. Was that who Prisoner Zero was?"

"That was certainly who she claimed to be," Onyx said. "I will have to do more research." He frowned and looked closer at her face. "Are you… crying?"

Pink noticed that a tear had formed in the corner of her eye and quickly wiped it away. "Uh, no. Definitely not."

"What made Blue shut you in the Tower again?" he asked.

"Oh, one of my old bug pals managed to sneak its way into her chambers and freaked her out," she replied. "No big deal."

"Why were you crying, then?" Onyx asked

Pink hesitated but waved his concerns away. "It doesn't matter. Let's just go back to my room." She walked away, Pink Pearl quickly following after her.

Onyx gave the other PDETF members a glance. They seemed just as worried as he was. Even so, they followed their Diamond without another word.

* * *

"Pink!"

Dozens of tiny voices shouted at once the moment Pink Diamond opened the door. She nearly fell over as the Pebbles began climbing all over her. Onyx smiled at the display, as did the other PDETF members.

"Whoa!" she shouted. "Pebbles, what's got you all excited?"

"We made you something, Pink!" shouted one in a nightcap.

"Come see! Come see!" said one in a dress. They all ran up to a wall, Pink following curiously. The wall gave out a puff of steam and they all walked inside. They were on a huge walkway overlooking the Pebbles' labyrinthine abode. They kept going, rounding a corner past a wall full of tiny stairs.

Pink gasped at what she saw next.

There was a huge table with a massive vanity mirror set up on a table. There was a bowl full of rocks with various tools, though Onyx could not discern what they were used for. There was a single flower protruding from the bowl of rocks.

"It's for you, Pink!" one of the Pebbles shouted.

"You can draw, too, watch!" Another one began to make squiggly lines on the mirror just by sliding her hand along it.

Pink sat down at the table. It was so big that Onyx's head barely reached to the top of it. Pink picked up one of the tools and looked at it, then she looked at the rocks in the bowl.

"Well, what do you think?" the Pebbles asked in unison.

Suddenly, Pink began shaking. Onyx noticed a single tear drop from her face into the bowl. As he watched, the rock developed eyes and a lopsided mouth. He was more focused on Pink, however.

She suddenly threw her head back and laughed. "This is amazing! You guys really outdid yourselves this time. Thank you so much, this is just what I needed!"

The Pebbles looked as if this was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to them. They broke out into cheers, cries of "Yay!" and "Pink is happy!" filling the chamber.

"I don't get what's so fun about a bowl of rocks," Jasper whispered to Onyx.

"Let her have her fun," he replied with a smile.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay. This chapter took a bit longer to make for a couple reasons. First, I ended up getting distracted and wrote a bunch of future chapters in the middle of writing this one. Second, in case you haven't noticed, this is _way_ longer than any of my previous chapters (sorry about that). I tried to find a good cutoff point to split this thing in half, but unfortunately I wasn't satisfied with anything I could come up with. **

**Anyway, I introduced a new enemy this chapter. Tourmaline.**

 **Tourmaline in real life comes in a variety of colors, just about every color of the rainbow in fact. It's seen as one of the most versatile of gemstones as a result. In terms of metaphysical properties, each color of Tourmaline is thought to promote a different chakra. I can't say I believe in that sort of thing, but it's certainly interesting. Green Tourmaline is thought to promote expression and communication. Blue is one of the rare varieties of Tourmaline and is also called Indicolite. It is thought to increase one's sense of clairvoyance.**

 **As for the character herself, I wanted to set up Tourmaline as the classic "evil sorceress" archetype. I feel like a lot of the Gems in SU utilize technology more so than magic. Sure, their ability to reform after death, summon weapons, shapeshift, etc. could all be seen as magic, but Onyx subscribes to the belief that any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic, a concept known as "Clarke's Third Law." I wanted to set up a villain that goes against the rational and gives Onyx something he can't easily explain.**

 **Thanks for putting up with the wait and for reading something much longer than normal, and please tell me what you think in a review!**


	13. Update on Chapter 13

**Hey everyone, Chapter 13 of Titanium is going to take a bit longer to come out than usual. I'm just making this post to confirm that I am, in fact, not dead, and I am still working. This is only a temporary chapter, which I will take down when the real Chapter 13 is up. Thank you all for your patience.**


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